ARTIST and former secondary school teacher, David Westhead of Parkstone, has died at the age of 70.

Born in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire where he went to the local primary and secondary school before going to the local art college.

In 1964, he was awarded an Honours Degree in Fine Art with Art History, at Falmouth School of Art in Cornwall.

After this, he took on a variety of jobs before travelling in Europe in 1970 during which time he met his wife, Celia, in Rhodes. The couple stayed in the Greek islands with David selling pencil and ink drawings before they came back to England to get married and then went to live in Crete.

On their return to England, David was offered a post as an art teacher at St Mary's College in Blackburn, where he stayed for nine years, while painting in his spare time and visiting Italy on school trips with the pupils.

In 1980, Celia and David welcomed their son, Luke, and David went on to become head of art at Parkstone Grammar School.

Here he was recognised for introducing the subject of History of Art to the school, which he taught as an A Level, until he took an early retirement in 2001.

From this time, he devoted himself to painting and after a year, he joined the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) as a lecturer of art history for 15 years at groups across Dorset and Hampshire.

In his spare time, he loved jazz music, visiting Italy, owned over 2,500 art history books and was an avid fan of Stoke City Football Club after he was introduced to the team by his father as a boy. He also said that one of the best moments of his life was when his son, Luke, got married to Suzie in 2014, who became 'the daughter that he never had.' In the same year, David held his final exhibition, Addelphi – Three Poole Painters, at the Gallery Upstairs in Upton Country Park.

David's funeral will take place on Tuesday, August 9 at Poole Crematorium at 12noon with donations going to Cancer Research and Sea Shepherd.