YORK painter and decorator and national hockey star Derek Bellerby has died at the age of 89.

Mr Bellerby was born in York in 1923, to Irene and Stanley, who was Sheriff of York between 1954 and 1955, and owned Bellerby’s painters and decorators in Petergate.

Educated at Bootham School and later evacuated to Ampleforth, Mr Bellerby went on to work for Walpamur paints and Sandersons in Hull before taking over the family business in the early 1970s. He was a Freeman of York and a past master of the Guild of Master Builders.

He met his wife Kathryn, known as Kate, in 1952, and they later had three children – Chrissie, Jules and Marcus.

Jules, a BBC Radio York presenter, said his father was very proud of his sporting achievement, and his efforts with the Home Guard.

“He failed his medical in the Second World War due to childhood osteomyelitis and ended up being possibly the fastest right winger Yorkshire ever had. The army’s loss was hockey’s gain. He also managed to get an England cap in the twilight of his career at the age of about 34.

“He wasn’t allowed to join up, so he was in the Home Guard. One of his jobs was to guard the civic dump, the chimney at Morrisons, and what a job he did – Hitler’s hordes never touched it!”

Mr Bellerby was managing director of Bellerby’s until 1988, when he retired and closed the company.

Jules said: “Bellerby’s did the gold leafing in the Minster and All Saints’ Church, and they renovated Fairfax House. The runners and riders boards at the racecourse were all hand-painted too, that was one of my first holiday jobs. The company also worked on the Sultan of Oman’s palace in the 1980s.

“My daughter said to me ‘you could go into any pub in York or Yorkshire with my grandpa and half the people would know him, and when you left, everyone in the pub would know him’.” He was the most social man you’d ever meet. He was a great public speaker, and had a joke for every occasion.”

Mr Bellerby suffered a stroke last week and died on Sunday surrounded by family. A private memorial service on Tuesday, April 10, will be followed by a public celebration of his life at St John and All Saint’s Church, Easingwold, at noon.