A PROMINENT former Kidderminster chartered accountant has died two months after celebrating his golden wedding anniversary.

John Hill, who was chairman of the parish council in Birlingham near Pershore, was 73 when he died earlier this month.

Mr Hill was a former pupil of King Charles 1 School in Kidderminster and learnt his trade in the town firm Moulder & Tyers.

He was chairman of Kidderminster Round Table in the 1970s and he also became Round Table chairman when he and his wife moved to Banbury, near Oxford.

When the family moved to Birlingham he was chairman three times of Bredon Hill Rotary Club and a member of Evesham Rotary Club.

His career progressed through several commercial appointments in Dudley, Banbury, Pershore, Cradley Heath and Hartlebury. He was also a governor of Perryfields Special School in Worcester.

Mr Hill, of Church Street, Birlingham, was elected to head the council in April last year.

He was also treasurer to the Parochial Church Council and audited the accounts for most village organisations.

Mr. Hill married Daphne Bishop in 1967. She held secretarial posts in Kidderminster and was chairman of the town's Ladies Circle in 1976.

In latter years, she was secretary at Pershore High School. They have one son, Richard, and two granddaughters.

A family service will be held at Worcester Crematorium on Wednesday, March 7 to be followed by a service in the village church, Birlingham at 2pm on the same day.