A HIGHLY-respected journalist Peter Storah has died, aged 79, after a short illness.

Peter, who lived in Mereclough, Burnley, passed away surrounded by his family last Saturday.

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Noted for his lively and graceful writing style, he was one of a golden generation of Burnley journalists who went on to greater things.

Born and raised in Todmorden, Peter trained on the Todmorden Advertiser before joining the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in the early 1960s and was one of the launch team of the former Burnley Evening Star newspaper in 1965.

His funeral will be at noon on Wednesday, July 1, at Burnley Crematorium.

An accomplished pianist he met his wife Joan at music lessons and they were married for 58 years having two children, Caroline, 54, a journalist, and Christopher, 53, a partner in Savage Crangle Solicitors in Skipton.

He leaves four grandchildren, Thomas, 23, Lucy 21, Oliver, 20 and Abigail, 18.

Caroline said: “The whole family and all his friends and neighbours are devastated. He enjoyed nothing more than being with his family or his friends.”

For years he wrote a popular humorous weekly column ‘Storah Says’ about life in Burnley.

In the 1980s he became a sub-editor on the Daily Star, moving onto the Daily Sport.

Alan Simpson, deputy editor of the Lancashire Telegraph, said: “Peter was one of the first people to welcome me to the paper when I joined the Evening Star in 1977. After that he and his wife Joan became family friends as well as being a much-respected colleague.

“Around the Burnley area Peter was ‘Mr Evening Star’ and he cultivated an army of contacts from all walks of life. He was one of the finest writers ever at the Lancashire Telegraph.”

“Probably his most emotional pieces were written when he flew out to Barcelona in July, 1970, to cover the aftermath of the plane crash in which 38 people from the Burnley and Padiham area perished. Peter’s reports from the little town of Arbucias, near to where the plane had crashed into mountains, were heartbreaking yet the prose was both beautifully and tastefully created.’’ Former Burnley MP and council leader Peter Pike said: “I knew Peter very well but everybody in the town did in the 1970s and 1980s.”

In retirement Peter loved the Times crossword, classical and jazz music and good food. Donations to Cancer Research UK are requested.