ONE of Wellington’s oldest residents, Richard Northam, has died, two months before his 103rd birthday.

A funeral service for Mr Northam, who was known as Dick, will be held at 1.20 pm in Taunton Crematorium on Monday, September 29.

He died in Bridgwater Hospital after a short illness.

Mr Northam was a lifelong Wellington resident and put his longevity down to his faith as a member of the Methodist Church, although he said he was ‘not a 100 per cent religious’ person.

He only left the town when he served as an RAF engineer in India during World War Two, moving in 1945 to work in South Afria.

Mr Northam learned the Afrikaans language before returning to Wellington in 1948, where he joined the town’s bowling club in 1959 and was made a life member in 1992 and later became president.

He was also well known in the sport as a national and county coach and umpire, and served as president of Somerset Bowls Association.

After Mr Northam was diagnosed with macular degeneration he helped to found the Nomads Mixed Bowling Association, which pioneered mixed team bowling in the 1990s and raised money for charities such as Somerset Sight.

Mr Northam was born in Martin’s Buildings, off Champford Lane, Wellington, and attended the former Corams Lane School, which later became Linden Infants School, until the age of 14 years.

As a youngster, Mr Northam and his older brother helped their mother make leg wrap puttees for the town’s woollen manufacturers Fox Brothers.

Mr Northam remained active in the bowling club even after becoming a centenarian, and helped deliver the first wood at the opening of the green’s 2023-24 season.

Funeral directors H. Biffen and Sons Ltd, of Bridgwater, said family flowers only were requested but mourners could make a donation through the firm for Wellington Methodist Church.