An influential East Anglian banker and keen golfer, Gerry McGurk, has died peacefully aged 85 at his Wroxham home.

He was given the rare opportunity to be twice captain of the Royal Norfolk Golf Club – in 1988 and then in the 1993 centenary year.

Mr McGurk, who was a Yorkshire man, was born in Scarborough. He went to the town's High School before joining the National Provincial Bank's Scarborough branch in 1951.

After the merger with the Westminster Bank, he was a manager in London, Birmingham and Stafford before promotion to Norwich as manager of the London Street branch in 1975. Then three years later, he became the NatWest's Norwich area manager. He retired in 1986 as the East Anglian regional director having raised the bank's profile in the Norwich and Norfolk business community. His hospitality at Pearl Assurance House was legendary with many luncheon guests 'poured' into taxis about 6pm or after dinner in the early hours of the morning.

Outside the banking world, he was a governor of Notre Dame High School in Norwich for 20 years and a keen member of the Catenian Association, the Catholic version of Rotary.

Always passionate about sport, he followed cricket and golf with enthusiasm. A keen supporter of the Norfolk County Cricket Club, he was a vice-president of Norwich Rugby Club.

However, he loved golf and was delighted to be invited to become president of the Royal Norwich in 1998.

Married for 55 years to Shirley on September 3, he died just five days after his 85th birthday.

He leaves a widow, three children, Rachel, Anthony, who both became solicitors, and Sally, and five grandchildren.

Married for 55 years to Shirley, he also leaves three children, and five grandchildren.

A funeral service was be held at the Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist, Norwich, on Friday, November 4 at noon.