Post office manager Phillip Denley Davies was honoured for his bravery after fighting off robbers at his store.

Phillip Denley Davies died in his sleep at home surrounded by his children.

He ran Fartown Post Office with his wife Margaret and fought off three separate robberies there, two of which were defeated.

In one of the incidents Mr Davies was injured and needed hospital treatment.

He later received a medal of honour from the Post Office for his bravery.

Mr Davies was born in 1930 in Dalton, son of George Denley and Annie Davies and was later followed by brothers Glyn and Roger.

The family moved to Marsh, then Berry Brow and Mr Davies attended Almondbury Grammar School.

After leaving school he went to work for his father’s grocery business, GD Davies & Sons in 1946.

This was originally on Cloth Hall Street and then later moved to Dundas Street in Huddersfield town centre.

Mr Davies did two years of National Service between 1948 and 1950 and was based at RAF Hornchurch where he played centre half at football for RAF Hornchurch and Emerson Park Town.

Upon his return he played for Old Almondburians in the Old Boys League and the District League.

Mr Davies met his future wife Margaret Mahon in 1951.

Phillip Denley Davies dies - pictured with his wife Margaret at their 50th wedding anniversary

Her father owned a tailor shop next door to the family business on Cloth Hall Street and they married on January 22, 1958, at Holy Trinity Church.

The couple moved on to Fartown where they took over the Post Office and opened a second branch of GD Davies & Sons grocers, which they ran for 41 years.

Mr Davies’ brothers joined him at the business in 1983 and the three brothers retired in 1998, selling the family business.

Along with his father and brothers, Mr Davies was an active member of the Huddersfield Grocers’ Association.

He was secretary of the Association from 1953 and held the post for over 25 years.

Then he acted as president of the Huddersfield Chamber of Trade in 1966.

He was also a governor of Ashbrow School.

Mr Davies taught himself to play the piano in the RAF and he and his wife shared a love of classical music.

He loved golf, playing at Woodsome Hall Golf Club.

Mr Davies was also an avid supporter of Huddersfield Town, together with his wife who passed away in 2009.

He attended a weekly U3A Music Appreciation Society at Gledholt Methodist Church and Huddersfield Pennine Probus Club.

Mr Davies was first diagnosed with cancer in 2007 then fought a long, hard battle against various forms of cancer until his renal cancer sadly returned in January 2015.

He leaves three children, Mark, Julie and Alison, and five grandchildren.

His funeral took place at Huddersfield Crematorium.