TRIBUTES have been pouring in for Dudley Royal Navy veteran and charity fundraiser Mick Coyle who has lost his battle with cancer.

The 85-year-old president of Stourbridge Royal Naval Association passed away on November 12.

He leaves a wife of 62 years - Phyllis, daughter Jennifer, grandson Oliver and one-year-old great-grand-daughter Nancy.

Former seaman Mick from Pensnett served on the Russian convoys in his youth - delivering wartime supplies to Russia.

After leaving the forces he took up fundraising following a family tragedy - and in his later years he pulled in thousands of pounds for needy causes through his annual New Year dances at Brierley Hill Civic Hall.

Daughter Jennifer Pickin, aged 60, said Mick lost his fight for life just six months after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

She said: “We thought we’d got him for longer than we had. He’ll be sadly missed.

“He was always cheerful and smiling. He never ever moaned about his aches and pains and he was always very supportive.”

She said her father, who sailed on HMS Bulldog, “loved to talk about his naval days”.

An immensley proud veteran - Mr Coyle was one of a group of ex-servicemen who helped raise £86,000 for a cenotaph in Dudley’s Coronation Gardens.

He also campaigned for war pensioners to be issued with ID cards to prove their right to priority healthcare treatment.

He finally received his card this year after confronting the then Veterans Minister Kevan Jones about it back in April - but he was still pushing for cards to be issued routinely to veterans rather than upon application.

Friend Ron Gould, chairman of Stourbridge Royal Naval Association, said: “He was the most fantastic bloke. He always put everybody else before himself; he was the most unselfish man you could meet.”

Due to his illness Mick was unable to attend this year’s Armistice Day service on November 11 - and he passed away the following day, just two days before Remembrance Sunday, so his family have organised a memorial service to be held at his beloved cenotaph on Monday November 29 at 2pm.

Mr Coyle’s coffin will be taken to the memorial - for a short service and two-minute’s silence. He will then be taken to St Mary’s Church in Brierley Hill at 3pm.

His funeral will be held the following day (Tuesday November 30) at St Mary’s in the High Street at noon, followed by burial at Gornal Wood Cemetery and then a gathering at Brierley Hill Civic Hall.

Daughter Jennifer said: “His pride and joy was the cenotaph in Dudley. He so desperately wanted to go to the remembrance service but he didn’t make it, that’s why we’re taking him there.”