TRIBUTES have been paid to a community stalwart and former Halstead Gazette journalist.

Dave Osborne, 81, died on Monday after a long battle with lung fibrosis.

Born and bred in Halstead, he was a founding member of Halstead History Society 40 years ago.

Mr Osborne spent more than 40 years working for the Gazette, was a keen historian, member of Halstead Town Football Club, and author of titles including Shopping in Halstead A Century Ago and A History of Halstead Town Football Club 1879-2010.

He attended Holy Trinity Primary School before moving to Earls Colne Grammar School.

He started working life at a Courtauld mill, before settling down at the Gazette, where he worked on the news and sport departments.

Callum Hansey, Mr Osborne’s grandson, said: “His presence in the local footballing, aviation and historical communities kept him active throughout the illness and he never lost his passion for them.

“He will be much missed by the family, his wife Jo-Anne, son Corin, myself and others, as well as in his fields of expertise.

“Grandad instilled a passion for knowledge in me, his office bookshelf bowing under the weight of countless reference books, local histories, aviation record, footballing stories, maps and linguistic textbooks.

"Many of these he played a part in putting together, others he wrote himself.

“He was the go to man for questions about Halstead, Halstead Town FC, and the 381st Bomb Group.”

Halstead Gazette:

Former Halstead Town chairman and manager, Jim Holder, said: “He became a friend when I played for the club in the late eighties and early nineties and was instrumental in my appointment as chairman ten years after I finished playing.

“His love of the club was infectious and he was always keen to greet visitors and show them his vast collection of matchday programmes. Noone ever heard a cross word from him and he will be missed by everyone who knew him.”

In a statement, Halstead Town added: “Dave’s association with the club followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father, uncles and brothers who between them played close to 1,000 games for the club, and as a young boy he was club mascot in the time preceding the Second World War.

"His contribution to the club was immense.

"The club would like to send our deepest condolences to his widow, Jo-Anne and the rest of his family at this time of sorrow.”