A man who served a number of community groups in Thetford and helped raise awareness of a debilitating disease has been described simply as 'a gentleman' after dying last week.

Trevor Burlingham was born in Thetford, went to Charles Burrell High School and worked for Studio Five photography before serving 12 years in the Royal Observer Corps.

On retiring, he served as chairman of the Thetford Probus club and continued with one of his passions, public speaking.

But in February last year he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and suffered an increasing deterioration of his physical faculties until he died on Easter Monday at the age of 67.

In his final year, Mr Burlingham did not shy away from shedding light on the illness, featuring in this newspaper to highlight the work of the MND Association last June.

He admitted at the time that the disease was 'dreadful' and that its debilitating affects - particularly the impact on his speech - had been 'very frustrating'.

He said: 'You can't help but think, 'Why me?', because I've always been healthy, never smoked, or drank irresponsibly, and it seems so cruel.'

His wife Annette, who he married in 2007, described him as a 'gentleman'. She said he had deteriorated greatly in his final weeks, and that his death had come as a 'relief'.

'He battled all the time. Despite how poorly he felt and being in a hospital bed, he insisted on getting up and sitting in his chair every day.

'On the very last day he listened to the football, and passed away in his sleep that night,' she said.

Mrs Burlingham said she passed on news of his death to an internet MND forum, on which her husband had become active.

She said the news was met with an outpouring of grief and condolences.

The last weeks of the illness became increasingly difficult, Mrs Burlingham said.

'It took all this pleasures away. Eating and drinking, speaking, and eventually using the computer to talk to people.

'He had discomfort but not much pain, but it was still an active mind in a body that was unable to communicate properly, causing a lot of unhappiness and frustration,' she said.

Mr Burlingham was a photographer for much of his life, running Trevor Howard Photography. His pictures and letters frequently appeared in the pages of this newspaper, and the Eastern Daily Press.

He also started a walking club which ran for 13 years, taking people around East Anglia to try different walks.

A funeral service for Mr Burlingham will take place at St Cuthbert's Church at 12pm on May 1.

Donations in his memory are requested for St Nicholas Hospice Care.