NEW Milton funeral director Colin Hayley provided comfort and compassion to bereaved families in the New Forest area for more than 40 years.

Mr Hayley, who died peacefully at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on November 4 at the age of 83, was born in Southampton in September 1931.

As a young man he planned to move to Canada, but his diagnosis with diabetes at the age of 21 led to his settling in New Milton.

His career in undertaking began in 1956 at furniture shop Moody’s in Old Milton Road, and when the owners of the business retired a short time later he was made joint owner with two other employees.

It was around this time he met his future wife Janice – at a party when they were both in their 20s.

She applied to work as secretary at Moody’s, and the pair grew close and married at St Mary Magdalene Church in New Milton in 1961.

In time, Mr Hayley became the sole owner of Moody’s and decided to concentrate on the funeral directing side of the business, working hard to provide an exceptional and reputable service to the people of his community while supporting his family.

He was awarded a diploma in funeral directing, and became closely involved with the National Association of Funeral Directors, helping to draw up its Code of Practice.

He travelled around the UK as an inspector for the association, and later in life regularly attended the meetings of its southern branch.

Although he took semi-retirement at the age of 55, selling Moody’s to Bournemouth department store Beales, Mr Hayley found himself unable to settle down and he was soon back working in the trade.

After a short period of part time work with HJ Coles in Poole, his friend Chris Tapper, of Tapper Funeral Service in Poole, asked him to lend his many years of experience to the company as a director.

Not only that, but in 1992 Mr Hayley became manager of the new ‘Colin Hayley and Tapper Funeral Service’ branch in New Milton, just two doors away from his old workplace in Old Milton Road.

Mr Hayley retired again in 2001 but continued to carry out consultancy work for Tapper, and conduct funerals on occasion when requested. He and his wife had three children – Julian, Francine and Marina – and Julian joined the family trade in 1993.

He currently runs the two branches of Colin Hayley and Tapper Funeral Service in New Milton and Highcliffe, as well as the Tapper Funeral Service branch in Milford.

Mr Hayley loved antique furniture, convertible cars and musical theatre, as well as caravan holidays with his family.

He was life-long Baptist of strong faith, worshipping at Ashley Baptist Church for most of his life, and a great dog lover, seldom seen apart from William the long-haired Chihuahua.

He was a member of New Milton Round Table and later the 41 Club, Lymington Masonic Lodge and past president of the Bournemouth and District Association of Funeral Directors.

Mr Hayley leaves his wife, children and seven grandsons.

A funeral service, attended by some 200 people, was held at St Mary Magdalene Church on Monday. Donations in his memory to Diabetes UK or Autism Wessex may be made via tapper funeralservice.co.uk