TRIBUTES have been paid to a much loved family man who has passed away.

Mike Davis died at home with family by his side at West Stafford near Dorchester on February 20, aged 77.

Husband to Barbara and father to Rebecca and Joanna, he passed away three weeks after being diagnosed with CMML leukaemia.

Mike, who was passionate about gardening, survived two strokes in later life and showed his fighting spirit regaining his ability to be mobile again, his family said.

He was determined to get back outside working in his garden again, where he also loved to grow runner beans and rhubarb. He was a talented artist whose paintings of some of his favourite country scenes have pride of place on the wall at home.

Barbara said: “Mike’s love of the countryside encouraged him to find a peaceful Dorset village for retirement. So in December 2013 we moved to West Stafford where the garden was a big attraction for Mike, who was delighted when someone complimented it.

“He was so dedicated to looking after it and was a very active person who in earlier life loved playing cricket and walking.”

Mike was born on February 3, 1947, in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, the eldest of four children.

He began working as a draughtsman for Wiltshire County Council and later moved to Hampshire, working for Hampshire County Council, where he met Barbara in a village pub.

The pair shared an enthusiasm for the countryside, reading and walking and made their home in the village of Tangley, marrying in 1974 and making their home in Andover where they started a family.

Mike went on to work for Test Valley Borough Council as a project engineer, retiring in 2008, before retiring west to Dorset with Barbara, where she was originally from.

Having fallen in love with the village of West Stafford the first time he saw it, Mike enjoyed keeping it beautiful, helping to maintain the village churchyard and would deliver the Oyez newsletter full of village news.

Joanna said: “I will always remember my dad’s very dry sense of humour and witty observations about life.

“He would play football with me, providing a stern test of my goalkeeper skills, and took me to The Dell to fulfil my dream (twice!) of seeing Southampton FC defeat Manchester United.

“He spent hours helping me with my maths work and showed how much he cared by what he did for us.”

Rebecca remembers her dad’s patience and support in helping her complete her geography studies. She shares his love for the countryside and the great outdoors and he introduced her to favourite family television programmes such as Countryfile and the Yorkshire Vet.

A private family funeral and burial will be held in West Stafford.