HUNDREDS of former Terry's workers, family members and friends gathered at York Minister to remember and celebrate the life of Peter Terry.

A memorial service was told that he had been a person of rare quality - a man of dignity, modesty, courtesy, humility and integrity, as well as an outstanding sportsman.

Mr Terry, aged 87, of Brandsby, near Easingwold, died last month, just months after the Terry's chocolate factory closed down, ending a York confectionery tradition dating back to the 18th century.

The last member of the Terry family to manage the Bishopthorpe Road factory, he had backed the Evening Press campaign in 2004 to save the factory from parent company Kraft's proposal to switch production of famous products, such as Chocolate Orange, to factories on the Continent.

Yesterday's service was originally planned for the Minster Choir, but was switched to the Nave because of expectations that large numbers of people would turn up.

Canon Glyn Webster told the congregation that Peter would be remembered for his warmth of heart, his modesty, his humour and his power of thinking.

The Father Edward Corbould a family friend who was at Ampleforth Abbey for 36 years, said everyone present had been experiencing a sense of great loss since Peter's death.

"The sense of loss is so acute precisely because we have gained so much from him," he said. "He was transparently a person of rare quality.

He said Peter had been a great encourager. "He made everybody feel important because everybody was important. He had time for people." Peter had that "most rare virtue of humility", and was someone who had never sought the limelight, on whom the light shone.

He said he had a wonderful family, and a "wonderfully happy life, rooted in Yorkshire."

He was an outstanding sportsman, particularly in the field of ball games, but had also been someone of great modesty, courtesy and respect out on the sportsfield. "If he hit a century, it was because the wicket was so good. If he got a clutch of wickets, it was because the wicket was breaking up," he said.

Readings were given by Mr Terry's granddaughter, Charlotte Terry, his youngest son, Michael, and oldest son, Anthony.

Updated: 09:37 Saturday, March 25, 2006