WELL-KNOWN genealogist and retired local government officer, Leonard Ruffell, has died aged 75. Born on October 28 1939 in the police house at Rownhams, he moved to Winton, Bournemouth at the age of three.

Len's father was the popular local policeman, Ted Ruffell. He was a pupil of Bournemouth School and began his working life aged 15 at Bournemouth Borough Council.

He met his wife Anne Mary Dean at the council where they both worked in the Borough Engineer’s Department. In 1965, a year after their marriage, they emigrated to Sydney, Australia where they stayed for three years before their return to Bournemouth.

Len had spells working for Aerograph Devilbis and Airwork at Hurn, before returning to Bournemouth Borough Council in the Planning Department, later transferring to the Town Clerk's Department as a Committee Clerk.

Len was Editor of the council's in-house magazine, Pine Log, and played a leading role in many council staff activities. He honed his speaking and presentation skills as a member of the Bournemouth Town Hall Drama Group, THATS, and he appeared in many plays.

Following reorganisation of local government in 1974, he spent periods as Chief Administrative Officer for Christchurch Borough Council and the Dorset Probation Service. He was proud of his work in establishing and opening the Agnes Weston Probation Hostel in Weymouth and the Lilliput Project for young people on the fringe of trouble.

In 1979 he joined Hampshire County Council and moved to Winchester. He retired in 2001.

Len’s passion outside local government, was genealogy. He began tracing his family tree in 1971 and was able to trace the Ruffells, an old Hampshire family, back 300 years through ten generations. He joined the Hampshire Genealogical Society and was Editor of their journal, the Hampshire Family Historian from 1984 to 1995, in which time he won the Elizabeth Simpson Award for best magazine.

Len kept a diary from the age of 17 until the day before his death when he dictated his last entry. His vivid imagination was used to great effect in a series of adventure stories he wrote about a private detective agency headed by his alter ego, Lionel Worst, which he also illustrated.

He collaborated with his childhood friend, Anthony Baker, on many stage productions for the drama group and they co-wrote a successful play for children called “Pirates in Pursuit”.

Len celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary last year. His wife, Anne, a photographer and writer, was Marketing Manager of Paultons Park until her retirement in 2003. His only daughter, Antonia, is now an Australian citizen and is CEO of Australian Philanthropic Services.

Len died on the July 3, after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer two years ago. His funeral will be held at St Barnabus church in Weeke, Winchester, on Friday July 17 at 3pm.