THE funeral of Roy Cogdell, a respected journalist who worked as a sub-editor for the Kent Messenger Group between 1978 and 1989, will take place on Thursday (May 4).

Mr Cogdell died of bronchial pneumonia at a nursing home in Staplehurst where he had been for two-and-a-half years after spending five months in hospital. He was 80.

The funeral service will be held at 11.30am at St Peter and St Paul's Church at Aylesford, followed by cremation at Vinters Park Crematorium at Maidstone at 12.30pm.

Afterwards there will be refreshments back at the church at Aylesford. All are welcome.

Family flowers only but donations, if desired, to The Salvation Army, care of Vine and Sons Ltd, 54 High Street, West Malling.

Mr Cogdell's widow, Catherine, who lives at Ditton, said: "Roy always had a lot of time for the Salvation Army and said the SA was always at the sharp end, whatever was happening."

Mr Cogdell also leaves a son, Geoffrey, and a daughter, Christine.

John White, a former news editor of the Kent Messenger and current assistant editor of the KMG’s website, said: "Life in a hectic newsroom can occasionally trigger some bad tempers. Roy was the antidote to all that.

"He was one of life’s really nice guys and always seemed to have a friendly smile on his face.

"He was a conscientious professional but I’ll remember him chiefly as a first-rate friend - and a man you could trust."