Tributes have been paid to John Gray who started pub papers which were circulated in Calderdale for several years.
Mr Gray was a salesman who later switched to journalism and while working at the Courier ran PubSpeak and later InnSpeak.
His son, Tom, said his father did a lot of campaigning on behalf of the licensed trade and enjoyed touring the pubs while working on the pub papers for which he did the research, writing, editing and photography.
“He was easy going and got on with everybody,” said Tom.
Bob Baume, an Elland-based brewery rep and friend of Mr Gray said: “John did a fantastic job and was a real friend of the pub trade.
“He was known and he used to run things such as Pub In Bloom.
“John was one of those characters you liked to meet in a pub and he loved cask ale.
“He was a nice guy who would do anybody a favour if he possibly could.”
Mr Gray was born in Halifax and brought up in Hipperholme.
He attended St Bede’s Grammar School, Bradford, and did his National Service with the RAF serving in the Middle East.
His hobbies included jazz music and sport and theatre. He leaves sons, Tom and Matthew and daughters Vicky and Caroline. His funeral is at 10 am on Tuesday at St Mary’s Church, Gibbet Street, Halifax, followed by cremation at Park Wood, Elland.
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