FORMER banker, retired teacher and tutor with the University of the Third Age Stan Stephenson has died at Kirkwood Hospice, Dalton.
Mr Stephenson, 79, the father of Examiner feature writer Hilarie Stelfox, was a veteran of the Second World War and enjoyed two careers during his working life.
After being demobbed from the Fleet Air Arm, which he joined at the age of 17, seeing active service in the Atlantic and Pacific, he became a branch manager with the TSB bank in Marlow, Buckinghamshire - the youngest manager in the organisation at the time.
Mr Stephenson, who was born and raised in Sunderland, left the bank at the age of 39 and took a post-graduate teacher training course at the college of the Venerable Bede in Durham.
During his time as a teacher he became a head of department, working with special needs children. He was an acting deputy head at the time of his retirement, due to ill-health, in 1984.
Although he suffered a severe heart attack and was left with impaired health, Mr Stephenson continued to be active in many organisations.
He was a former Scout leader and a member of the Red Cross and several choirs and choral societies.
After moving to Huddersfield 11 years ago to be closer to his daughter and two grandchildren, he became a member of the Huddersfield Heartline group for people with heart problems.
He and his wife, Joan, who had been married for 52 years at the time of his death, were also members of Lindley Parish Church, where Mr Stephenson sang in the choir.
Despite being diagnosed with cancer in 2000 he joined the Huddersfield University of the Third Age and tutored courses on the American and English civil wars. He taught his last course while undergoing chemotherapy.
Mr Stephenson's many interests included playing cricket, walking, sailing, gardening, writing, painting and music. Latterly he was a keen bowls player with Heartline.
He also leaves a son, Richard, who is a vet in the Midlands.
