THE funeral of a former Mayor of Warrington will be held today, Friday.

Eric Naylor, aged 88, from Stockton Heath, was born in St Helens in 1919.

A pharmacist by trade, he served in the Royal Artillery in the Middle East and Italy during the Second World War, rising to the rank of captain.

In 1945 he married Joyce Yates, with whom he was happily married for more than 40 years, and had two children, Mike and Jill.

Son, Mike, said: "He was a very caring man."

Moving to Warrington, Mr Naylor opened his first pharmacy in 1950 in Lodge Lane, Bewsey. He was elected as a Conservative councillor for Latchford in the sixties, before he took on the role of Mayor from 1970-1 and became a magistrate on the Warrington bench.

An avid Wolves fan, he was a member of many organisations, including the board of governors at Sir Thomas Boteler Secondary School, Warrington Hospital's Management Committee, the Royal British Legion and Warrington Old Friends Association.

An honorary president of The Warrington and District Rifle and Pistol Club, he was also secretary of the Warrington Archaeological and Historical Society.

During this time, he worked with Ray Hunt to help publish the Millennium Scrapbook of Warrington in 2003.

His funeral will be held at St Elphin's Parish Church at 11am.