A DEVOTED former teacher who has died at the age of 96 inspired thousands of schoolchildren in Wimborne and Ferndown in a career that spanned 35 years.

Wilf Houlton, who died at Poole Hospital on March 21, was deputy headteacher at the then Ferndown Modern School and also taught at Wimborne County Modern School before retiring 35 years ago.

His stepdaughter Valerie Carter said: "He was very good with children and he knew how to talk to them. He still really enjoyed it when children in the family came to visit.

"He was a very lovely man who was so interested in the world and had a very wide circle of friends. It is amazing how many people will really miss him."

Born in West Hartlepool in 1910 Mr Houlton taught at schools in Durham, Darlington and North London before moving to Ferndown Modern, now the middle school, in 1935.

After serving in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War he was transferred to Wimborne where he remained until 1959 when he was made deputy head at Ferndown.

His first wife, Madeleine, died of cancer, and he married his second wife, Daphne, whom he met when she worked as a secretary at Wimborne School, in 1965.

He became a stepfather to her two children, Mrs Carter and her brother Paul, and was a devoted grandfather to Fiona and Joanna.

Mrs Houlton died in 1997 and her husband carried on living at their home, at Oakley Hill in Wimborne, and remained an active and independent man until his final illness.

The funeral will be held at Poole Crematorium at 1.30pm on Monday, April 2.

Family flowers only, but donations if desired for Cancer Research UK or The Stroke Association care of Charles Snell and Son, West Street, Wimborne.

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