THE funeral of well-loved pharmacist who worked in Witham for nearly 30 years will be held next week.

Ken Hunter, 84, who worked at Stoffer's in Witham with his wife Beryl from 1959 until 1987, died on July 4 at Little Oaks care home in Wickham Bishops.

After owner Charles Stoffer retired, the couple ran the Newland Street pharmacy, which is now where Lloyds now is, until they took early retirement in the late eighties.

Carey Brown, one of the couple's daughters, said her parents always made time to talk to their customers about their medications or their problems.

She explained: “Stoffer and Hunter’s always offered that extra human touch and excellent customer service.

"Many people have fond memories of them at the shop and in later years, after the loss of mum in 2002, people would stop him in the street to reminisce.

"The overwhelming memory of him will be that he was a true gentleman in every sense of the word, always willing to help and always seeing the best in others.

"He'll be deeply missed by his second wife, Angela, his son David, his daughters Sally and me and his granddaughter Kyla as well as his wider circle of family and friends."

His funeral will be held at Three Counties Crematorium, Braintree, on Tuesday, July 24, at 2.30pm.