A memorial service to celebrate the life of a kind and compassionate soul, who loved Bovingdon, is to be held in the village on Sunday.

Tim Marshall, Vicar of St Lawrence Church, Bovingdon, passed away from pancreatic cancer on Tuesday, September 14, 18 weeks after his diagnosis.

Aged just 57, he leaves behind his wife Anne Marshall, 55, daughter Zoe, 29, and sons Toby, 27, and Joel, 16.

Mrs Marshall, 55, of Vicarage Lane, said: “Tim was a wonderful and warm person, who had time for everyone.

“We moved from Shepherd’s Bush to Bovingdon 18 years ago for a different pace of life, and he really loved the village.

“He was a very vocal man. When it was announced the fire station in Bovingdon was to close, he was completely against it. He felt it was wrong and he ensured he got his opinion across.

“It was the same when Tesco revealed they were planning to put a store here, he wrote letters trying to prevent it going ahead.

“Tim always had the village’s best interests at heart, you could say he had a vision for Bovingdon.”

A keen musician and photographer, just before his death Reverend Marshall completed a calendar of images he had taken while out walking with his dog Cano.

Due to go on sale in the coming weeks, money raised will go towards the Friends of St Lawrence, an organisation that helps support St Lawrence Church.

Mrs Marshall, a former tutor, said: “Tim said to me there were two things he wanted to do in life.

“One was to marry me and the other was to preach.

“When Tim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, it was very aggressive, it was too late for him to have chemotherapy, but still he wanted to preach and he was great at it.

“He fulfilled his duties during Easter service even though he was very ill.

“But that was what Tim was like, dedicated to the very end.”

His widow said that Reverend Marshall had planned his funeral prior to his death, ensuring even the correct music was selected.

She added: “He also wrote a guide for the church as to how to select the next vicar.

“He was keen that the right person be chosen for the post.

“We held his funeral for family and friends on September 28, but I felt it was important to hold a memorial service to mark Tim’s life, he was a wonderful, generous man, who loved to preach.”

• The memorial service will be held Sunday, St Lawrence Church in the High Street, Bovingdon, at 3pm.