Tributes have been paid to a former pub landlord.
Dave Cranshaw ran The Roebuck Inn in Rishton for eight years during the 1980s and 1990s.
The Blackburn Rovers fan died in Paphos, Cyprus on February 22 from pneumonia after a short illness aged 76.
His wife of 41 years Mel said he will be ‘sadly missed by everyone for years to come’.
She said: “There will be quite a few tears shed in Rishton. The people there are so friendly and we were there for eight years and made a lot of friends.
“We had two giant poodles, Rudy and Max, and everybody in Rishton knew them. He did a lot for Rishton and held an auction for the two football teams as they were desperate for new kit.”
Dave, originally from Brook Bottoms near Preston, ran other pubs in Kirkham, Clitheroe and Charnock Richard, near Chorley.
However Mel, 69, said The Roebuck Inn was ‘always his favourite’.
Norman Spencer, who worked as area manager for Matthew Brown brewery, later Scottish and Newcastle, appointed Dave as licensee of The Roebuck.
Norman, 73, of Sycamore Close, Rishton, said Dave helped make it the ‘hub of the village’.
He said: “He ran an excellent pub. He used to say at the Roebuck he had the best vault lads he ever had at a pub.
“He always used to say the pub was fantastic and the lads made it. They never had any trouble and knew if they stepped over the mark he would have a quiet word.”
Dave, who retired to Paphos more than a decade ago, ran a number of sports, darts and pool teams at the pub.
Norman said: “If somebody suggested something he would try it, anything to keep the pub as a central place.
“He was an excellent character and nobody had a bad word for him. He was never critical of people, he just accepted his role being a licensee and tried to give the village what they wanted.”
A funeral service was held in Paphos on Monday, March 2.
