FAMILY, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to loyal newsman Tony Brooke, who has died suddenly, aged 60.
Tony, of Gosforth Road, North Shore, started work for The Gazette in 1963, transferring to sister newspaper the Lancashire Evening Post in 1998.
He was the longest serving employee of parent company Johnston Press' North West division.
The elde
st of four children, Tony, was educated at St John Vianney and Our Lady RC schools. He was 15 when he started at The Gazette, where his father Joseph was chauffeur to owner Sir Harold Grime.
Tony completed his six-year apprenticeship as a compositor.
When computer typesetting was introduced in 1989 he retrained as a journalist, joining the news team at The Gazette.
But printing was his first love and in 1992 he transferred back to production, joining the Lancashire Evening Post in 1998.
Tony, who was married in 1971 to Rose, had two children, Joanne and Neill, and three grandchildren.
Joanne said: "My dad was very much a family man and we all did many things together.
"He loved his work, but also enjoyed jogging and walking, completing two marathons, numerous half marathons and fun runs."
Reqiuem mass at St Bernadette's Church, Bispham, was followed by the funeral at Lytham Park Cemetery.
The full article contains 217 words and appears in Blackpool Gazette newspaper.
