More than 200 people filled their village church to celebrate the life of one of their most popular and respected citizens.

The service at St Mary’s Church in Goudhurst on Saturday was to honour Anthony Farnfield, who died from cancer in August after serving for 27 years as the parish clerk.

He was described by William Benson, the chief executive of Tunbridge Wells council, as “the epitome of a public servant”.

Greg Clark MP said he was a “wonderful man who did so much for Goudhurst and was immensely respected in his parish”.

Nevertheless, Mr Farnfield had an entirely different and equally successful career before becoming the clerk – working in the aviation industry for BOAC and later BA.

Born on May 12, 1938, in Beckenham, he grew up in Otford.

During the Second World War, his father Basil was frequently away, as he was a pilot in the RAF, flying Mosquito fighter-bombers.

The family moved to Shoreham to escape the German bombing – a wise move as it happened, as their Otford home was later bombed and the tenants living there were killed.

Educated at Westminster School in London, Mr Farnfield joined the Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) to do his National Service and was part of the peace-keeping force in Cyprus.

His father convinced him that the future lay in aviation, so in 1959 he started work for BOAC, at first at the check-in desk at Victoria.

In those days, passengers could check in at London and then take a coach to Heathrow for their flights.

Later he rose to be what he called a “flag and whistle man” – a station duty officer.

He married Judith in 1960, and the couple had three children – Jonathan, Sarah and Guy – and lived in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

To supplement the family income, Mr Farnfield worked in the evenings as a taxi driver in Tunbridge Wells.

Jonathan was only four years old, Sarah three and Guy just six weeks, when in 1965 the family was given their first foreign posting – to Ghana.

From then onwards, for the next 20 years, the Farnfields were posted to various destinations around the world – very often in difficult circumstances.

In 1967, they found themselves in Nigeria while a civil war was raging. They were in Ethiopia between 1973 and 1977, during which time Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown in a coup, and in 1981 they were in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) shortly after the election of Robert Mugabe as the first black Prime Minister.

In 1983, they were in Beirut in Lebanon during its war with Israel and they had to evacuate quickly. In 1985 they were in Poland, still then behind the Iron Curtain.

There were also calmer postings to Freeport in the Bahamas, Zurich in Switzerland, Antigua, South Africa, Dubai, Denmark and India.

Mr Farnfield’s son Jonathan recalled: “Every now and then, Dad would come home and say to Mum: ‘Were moving, get packing’.”

In 1988, Mr Farnfield was made an MBE for services to aviation.

MBE, he told everyone, stood for “My Bloody Effort”, as opposed to an OBE which was for “Others’ Bloody Effort”.

Mr Farnfield bought his house at Smugley in 1994 to retire to. A year later, he became the parish clerk. The parish office was the shed at the bottom of his garden.

The chairman of Goudhurst Parish Council, Antony Harris, recalled how he first met Mr Farnfield when he had become a parish councillor 14 years ago.

Mr Farnfield had said "You had better come with me,” and then whisked him away on a tour of all quarters of the village.

Mr Harris said: “We ended up at the top of St Mary’s tower where I felt I was being shown all the blessings of the parish.”

Describing Mr Farnfield as “my guide, ever wise advisor and friend,” Mr Harris spoke of his “amazing dedication”.

He said: “Seven days a week, any time of day, he was always available to anyone that needed help or guidance.

“Even towards the end, extensive chemotherapy would not put him off what he believed to be his duty.

“He would always put you on the right track, or a better one, without actually saying you were on the wrong one.”

His sentiments were echoed by Colin Irvine, a former colleague at BOAC.

He said: “Anthony always put others before self.

“He was an outstanding representative for his country and the airline.

He rolled up his sleeves and got on with it

“Whether he was talking to government ministers, company directors or employees, he would treat everyone with the greatest courtesy.

“He never complained, never explained, just rolled up his sleeves and got on with it.”

Recalling one of many acts of kindness, he said that while Mr Farnfield had been posted to Antigua, he had learned of a former BA manager living there who had gone blind and was leading a very isolated life.

He said: “Every day, Anthony would call round and read the Daily Telegraph to him to keep him in touch.”

Mr Farnfield had many interests, from cricket – he was a member of the MCC – to rugby, snooker, gardening, the Bluebell Railway and the church.

But his abiding interest was said to be his family.

Mr Irvine said: “His family was almost always the first thing he ever talked about.”

Mr Farnfield is buried in the cemetery beyond the east end of the church, overlooking his home at Smugley Farm

He was 85.