Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a former Weymouth & Portland Borough councillor and respected member of the community who has died after a long illness.

Bill White – also a former headteacher – died just after Christmas, aged 74.

He is remembered for his active role in numerous clubs – including Melcombe Regis Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce – as well as being a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.

Mr White’s son Peter said: “My father was a popular headmaster - when pupils at the newly merged St Nicholas and St Laurence school were told he was to be their head, they let out a great cheer in assembly. Several former pupils have recently said he inspired them to become teachers.

“A less well-known fact is that before moving to Weymouth, my dad was in a pop group. Liverpool had the Beatles - but Stoke had ‘The Marauders’.”

Bill’s wife Anne White has paid tribute to the man she met 50 years ago, when they were both embarking on teaching careers at Radipole school.

Mrs White said: “At the end of my teacher training, Bill invited me out.

"We had a very good time and amusing conversation, and that was that - Bill proposed at our college ball.

"I had it in mind that I wasn't going to get married, and I had a teaching job lined up in Yorkshire - so it was a long-term courtship.

“We married when I returned to Weymouth in 1970, at the chapel in Upwey.”

Mr White was appointed as headteacher of Upwey school in 1972, where he remained until the school closed in 1976.

Mrs White remembers: “Bill was supposed to be closing the school down, but in fact it stayed open for quite a while longer and pupil numbers went up.”

Later he became headteacher of St Nicholas and St Laurence primary, continuing in that role until he retired. Soon afterwards he was asked to stand as a councillor.

After some consideration, Mr White joined the Lib Dem group and in 2007 won the seat for Radipole ward by a landslide 68 per cent - the largest majority of any councillor that year.

Mrs White said: “Bill was on the council for quite a few years, and was re-elected even after his sight deteriorated due to glaucoma. However, as time progressed, he didn't feel he could perform adequately as a councillor and reluctantly stood down.”

Mr White gave up his seat on the council before the 2015 borough election.

He was a great animal lover and keen horse rider, and the couple continued walking their dog together until the later stages of his illness.

"When our beloved dog died, Bill was absolutely distraught and his health suffered,” Mrs White added.

“Although he had been ill for a long time, it was still a shock when he went into Weldmar Hospice.

“All the staff were so lovely and I’d like to express my gratitude for looking after him so well.”

Mrs White said her husband was very firm about not wanting a funeral or any sort of memorial.

"Bill told me, 'I suppose you could get people to raise a glass,’" she said.

"So we decided to hold a celebration of his life, because that's where Bill would have raised a glass with friends.”

Ian Brooke, a close friend of the family, said: “As a headteacher Bill would stand by the school gate and greet each of the children by name.

“We were both members of the Rotary Club, and Bill worked tirelessly at fundraising until he lost his sight - it was a hell of a blow to him. He loved animals and adored horse-riding.

"When Bill was a councillor he had to join a political party, but actually he was very apolitical, he was very independently-minded.

"He remained a councillor for some while after losing his sight, and was very much part of the community.

"He was just a great guy who would do absolutely anything for anyone who needed it - a very genuine, very pleasant, easy to get on with, nice guy.

"I'm sure everyone Bill came into contact with will miss him greatly.”

Former Lib Dem councillor Tina Roebuck said: "I knew Bill for years - he was a lovely man.

"He suffered through his disability but just kept going and going.

"I was very sad to hear he'd passed. He was very reliable, very sound in his dealings. We all thought very highly of him."

A celebration of Mr White's life was being held today at the bowling club at The Marsh.