FORMER assistant town clerk Les Denzey has died just months after taking retirement from March Town Council.

Les, 65, was visiting his only daughter in Norwich yesterday when he collapsed and died.

For many years he had worked for March Town Council and had also been part time finance manager for Maple Grove Community Group. He had also been a governor of Maple Grove Infants and Westwood Junior, where he had also served a period as chairman.

Les was well known in Fenland circles for his love of sport and at one time had played football for Cambridge United, Wisbech, Ely, Chatteris and March.

In recent years he played bowls for Christchurch.

He was once a Cambridgeshire champion in athletics and cross-country. He represented the county at junior and senior levels in football.

He also had a youth international trial while at Cambridge Utd and played for the English FA.

He also once turned down the chance to join Aston Villa.

In a feature for this newspaper he was asked “What is the most romantic thing you have ever done?”

Les, with his typical under stated humour, replied: “My wife Ann will tell you that I do not have an ounce of romance in my body. In fact I did not propose to her, I just said: ‘How about it then?’”.

He also enjoyed perpetuating a self deprecating view about his attitude to spending.

“In keeping with my philosophy of not spending money, I have a wardrobe still containing clothes from the sixties,” he said.

He was then asked “what is the most money you spent in one day?”

He replied: “Fortunately it was not my own but I do spend a lot of pre-school money. “Basically I am a miser, I hate spending my own money.

Asked for what he would most like to be remembered Les replied: “A willingness to help people and having a good sense of humour.”

Town clerk Clive Lemmon said in the 10 years Les had worked alongside him they had become not only colleagues but close friends.

“He had a tremendous sense of humour and was a wonderful man to work with,” said Clive.

Although he retired in September, Les had asked to continue as secretary to March Civic Trust.