AN enormously popular vicar has died at the age of 57 after suffering a stroke.

Reverend Tim Wilby, the area dean of Chorley and vicar of St George’s Church in the town centre, was taken ill last week and died on Sunday.

A popular and well-known figure in the town, Rev Wilby had been a vicar for more than 30 years.

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Paying tribute, the Bishop of Blackburn Julian Henderson, said: “We give thanks to God for Tim and remember his dedicated service in our Diocese since 1983.

“ I, together with the whole Diocese, hold Tim’s wife Hilary, his four children, his wider family and friends and his congregation at St George’s in our prayers.

“We will do everything we can to provide support to Tim’s family and to his congregation at this distressing time.”

Rev Wilby took up his post at St George’s in 2007 at the age of 48.

He was ordained in 1983 after studying at University College, Durham and trained for the priesthood at Cuddesdon, Oxford.

After a spell as the curate of St Wilfrid’s, Standish, from 1986 to 1989 he was Regimental Chaplain to the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

Then he moved to become vicar of All Saints Church in Chorley from 1989 to 1995.

In 2013 he worked with Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle to help save the famous Chorley ‘Walking Day’.

The Bishop of Burnley, Rt Rev Philip North, said: “The Diocese of Blackburn is hard to imagine without Tim Wilby. His wonderful sense of humour and his mischievous love of fun made him a person who could light up a room the moment he entered.

“He could instantly reduce a potentially awkward meeting to uproarious laughter. His capacity for friendship combined with the wisdom of years meant that I was one of many who frequently turned to him for advice.”