Popular teacher and keen sportsman Patrick Dye has died suddenly at the age of 67. Mr Dye was head at Sheringham High School for 15 years until his retirement in 1992 after a teaching career which also took him to Nigeria and Lowestoft.

Popular teacher and keen sportsman Patrick Dye has died suddenly at the age of 67.

Mr Dye was head at Sheringham High School for 15 years until his retirement in 1992 after a teaching career which also took him to Nigeria and Lowestoft.

He was also heavily involved in local sport and community life at North Walsham, his home for the past 30 years, including being a former president of the rugby club.

Mr Dye died last Saturday after collapsing at home. His widow Maureen said the family had been inundated with tributes from schools and societies, who paid tribute to his friendliness, positivity, helpfulness and humour.

"He loved people and wanted to help in whatever sphere of life he was in," she added.

Mr Dye was born in Lincolnshire, but moved to Norfolk aged five, to Waterden farm near Fakenham, where his father was a farm manager.

He was head boy at Fakenham Grammar school before gaining a maths and science-based degree at Cambridge.

Following teacher training at Loughborough, his first job was at Batley Grammar in Yorkshire as a maths teacher.

After marrying Wells girl Maureen, whom he met at Fakenham sixth form, the couple had two years' teaching in Nigeria. Mr Dye worked at the government college in Kano before the escalating Biafran war saw them head home for the safety of their new-born son.

After a short spell at the private Ipswich School, Mr Dye moved to Kirkley High at Lowestoft in 1970 as head of maths, then rising to deputy head, before heading to Sheringham in 1977, where he steered the school from secondary modern to all-ability high status, before retiring in 1992.

His passion for rugby was born in Nigeria, and saw him play for Ipswich and Southwold before involvement at North Walsham which ranged from helping the minis, to fund-raising, marketing and becoming president.

Mr Dye also enjoyed squash and tennis, and in his retirement had been involved in many societies including the North Walsham social centre for the blind, community centre, and the county's retired heads association.

He leaves a widow, two sons Jonathan, 40, and Simon, 37, and four grandchildren.

A private cremation on Monday, July 16 will be followed by a thanksgiving service at St Nicholas parish church at North Walsham at 3pm.