THE longest serving member of Ferndown Probus Club has died just weeks before his 103rd birthday.

Great-grandfather Charles Wilkin was born in Rhyl, North Wales, and attended Rhyl County School where his musical talents came to the fore.

By 1930 he had become the sole pianist in The Rhyl Melody Makers, a quintet who performed at Rhyl Pier Pavilion, and he often played the organ in St John’s Church, Rhyl.

His son David, who lives in Northampton, said: “My father’s real musical achievement was to be able to listen to virtually any piece of music on the radio and immediately transcribe it to the piano. He rarely read any score; it all came from memory.”

Charles qualified as a solicitor in 1933 and later became a senior legal officer at the Midland Bank head office. He became a Freeman of the City of London and was a Freemason in London and Wimborne.

After marrying Nancy in 1936 the couple had two sons, David and Terence.

Charles and Nancy moved to Ferndown in 1970 when he retired and Charles devoted much of his time to caring for his wife until her death in 1988. Charles married again twice but ended up as a widower.

An active member of the Home Guard after the Second World War, Charles learned to fly, getting his licence on Tiger Moths in 1949. He was also a competent sailor, an avid reader of literature and history, a modest linguist and a keen traveller.

A regular golfer, he still held a 22 handicap in his 80s.

Paying tribute to his father, David said: “He was a caring, loyal, patient and attentive family man who lived life to the full until the end.”

Charles lived at Avenue Court in Poole until 2010. He died peacefully in Yelverton, Devon, on May 23.

His funeral service was held at Bournemouth Crematorium on Thursday, June 14.