A DOCTOR who was Blackburn’s pathologist for 20 years has died.

Dr Charles Heffernan, who was group pathologist from 1956 to 1987, and who also campaigned to build and equip a post-graduate education centre at Blackburn Royal Infirmary, died last Tuesday, aged 86.

As clinical tutor at the hospital between 1978 and 1982, he was also mentor to countless doctors who completed their training with his help.

Dr Heffernan, whose role involved the diagnosis of serious diseases such as cancer, will be remembered at a memorial service at St Leonard’s Church, Balderstone, on Friday at 11.30am.

His son Seamus said: “He was committed to a funda-mental belief in the NHS and always worked within it.

"He was motivated by that as well as by a love for what he did.”

Born the youngest of six children in County Kilkenny to Dr Patrick and Josephine Heffernan, he became light heavyweight boxing champ-ion for the British Army while stationed at Colchester in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1946 to 1948.

Meeting and marrying staff nurse Joy Nichols in 1953 while at Manchester Royal Infirmary, the couple later moved to Hollies Road, Wilpshire, when he became consultant pathologist at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Moving to Balderstone in 1960, Dr Heffernan was able to devote more time to his love of gardening.

In 1987, aged 65, he retired from his post at Blackburn but accepted a series of temporary posts in Sidney, Nova Scotia, Dhahran in Saudi Arabia, Oldham General Hospital, and finally Preston Royal Infirmary, before finally retiring at 71.

Dr Heffernan, who died from cancer of the larynx, is survived by his wife Joy, sister Hilda, sons Seamus and Kevin, daughter Janeann and grandchildren Sameera, Sharif and Sofia.