TRIBUTES have been paid to the much-loved founder of the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood group who worked tirelessly to improve the area for the community.

Dennis Gillibrand was ill with a brain tumour before he passed away on Friday at the age of 82.

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He leaves behind wife Doris, four children Elaine, Gary, Stuart and Tracey as well as eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Mr Gillibrand, who grew up in Darwen, set up the group 15 years ago and continued as chairman until he became ill.

His family paid tribute to a kind, fun, family man and dedicated husband who was a talented artist and enjoyed painting pictures of the woods.

Daughter Elaine, 56, said he would go there every day.

She said: “When he set the group up he called a public meeting. It was in November and the weather was awful and we thought ‘nobody will come’, but nearly 80 people came. People just came because they were passionate about the woods.”

Son Gary, 52, said: “He used to organise fundraising events for the community and the money got spent on maintaining and improving the woods. He did art projects, put benches in and repaired things. A lot of people appreciated what he did.”

“He did a nature trail with art work to encourage kids to go into the woods. He was very hands-on,” Elaine said.

“He used to call it the jewel in the crown.

“I remember going in there as a child. He always took us in there. I remember him telling me there was a lion’s den and I believed there was a lion in there.”

Gary said: “It is a place of natural beauty. It is somewhere generations of families from Darwen and Blackburn have visited and have a lot of happy memories of. He wanted to try and keep that.”

The family described Mr Gillibrand as a comedian who was always pulling faces.

They said he had many quirky sayings - so many that his granddaughter wrote them all down and put them in a jar for them to pick out when they are feeling sad.

Mr Gillibrand, who worked as an engineer then production manager at the former Netlon Group, was also a lifelong Blackburn Rovers fan and season ticket holder who would go to the games with his sons.

His family also paid tribute to the East Lancashire Hospice, Marie Curie, his nurses and carers who looked after him as his health declined.

Cllr Dave Smith, who covers the Sunnyhurst ward and knew Mr Gillibrand for 30 years, said: “The effort and dedication he put into Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood was incalculable.

“He was tremendous and the woods were a big passion of his.”