A POPULAR former Clacton GP has died following a short illness, aged 84.

Dr Dick Farrow was a partner at Great Clacton Surgery for 27 years and was also on the staff at Clacton General Hospital and Clacton Maternity Hospital.

After he retired from the surgery in 1997, he continued to work as a locum doctor at various local practices.

Dr Farrow finally hung up his stethoscope on September 22, 2006, exactly 50 years to the day that he began his medical training at London’s Charing Cross Hospital.

It was while he was a student doctor that he met his wife, Carol, who was a staff nurse.

The couple married in 1963 and the year after they moved to Dr Farrow’s native Yorkshire where he joined a practice in the Garforth area.

In 1970 the family moved to Clacton, and he took up his post at Great Clacton Surgery and was also appointed police surgeon.

His commitment to local services involved him leading a campaign with Dr Ron Turner to save Clacton Hospital’s children’s ward and maternity unit.

He joined Clacton Round Table when he moved to the town and was prominent in the organisation’s running of the Weeley Pop Festival in 1971. The following year he joined Clacton Rotary Club where he served on all committees over the years and was the club’s president in 1978, its 50th anniversary year.

Dr Farrow played rugby, cricket, and golf. He captained Clacton Cricket Club’s Sunday XI and was vice-chairman of the club for nine years. He was also a member of Clacton Golf Club.

A further passion was the theatre and Dr Farrow was honorary medical officer for Francis Golightly at Clacton’s West Cliff Theatre for 22 years and secretary to the West Cliff Theatre Trust from 1997 to 2002.

He worshipped at St James Church, Clacton, where he held several roles, including lay preacher.

Dr Farrow died peacefully at home on January 25.

He leaves his wife Carol, daughters Louise and Emma, sons Paul, and Nick and seven grandchildren.

The funeral will be held on March 1 at 11.30am at St James’s Church.