A POLISH war veteran who came to Preston in 1947 and set-up a table tennis club died last week.

George Ressel, a men's singles table tennis champion and former president of Preston Table Tennis Association, died in hospital, on Thursday March 7, aged 75.

George, who was born in September 1926 in Poland, served in the country's air force during the Second World War before moving to Preston in 1947 where he met his wife-to-be Gladys. The couple married at Guttridg Memorial Church, in Deepdale Road, in 1949.

Their three children, Christine, Stephen and Janet, all live in Penwortham.

Gladys said: "We had a happy and contented life together especially when the children were growing up and we used to take the caravan all over the continent.

"George was proud of his family, including his six grandchildren. They never gave him any trouble."

George's love of sport spurred him on to be a founder member of the Gryf Table Tennis Club in St Mark's Road, Preston, where he helped the first division team win the league five times before scooping the men's singles championship in 1960.

As a fanatic of the game, George, of Crossfields, Hutton, could boast many trophies and titles for his achievements.

In the early '80s he became the non-playing captain of the men's first team in the Lancashire and Cheshire League and, under George's direction, the team won the first division championship from 1981 to 1983 and won the Limit Cup in 1982.

Throughout his life in England, George returned to Poland only twice, in the 1970s. Gladys said: "He was treated very well. There were so many relatives they just kept on coming and George didn't know who a lot of them were. It was 30 years since he had been there."

In 1993 George's leadership skills were recognised at a reception in Preston Town Hall, hosted by the then mayor, councillor Ken Hudson.

George worked as an industrial engineer for the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), near Preston, for 40 years before his retirement in 1987.

His friend, Gerry Stokes, said: "George will be sadly missed."

George's funeral takes place today (Thursday) at St Teresa's Church, Queensway, Penwortham, at 10.45am.