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Sports editor who worked for three papers in same city dies aged 80

John LacyA former regional daily sports editor had died aged 80 after living with dementia.

Tributes have been paid to John Lucy, pictured left as a young man, who worked for three newspapers in Nottingham over the course of his career.

He eventually rose to the position of sports editor at the Nottingham Post, and held the role until his retirement aged 56.

Prior to that, the keen cricketer served as deputy sports editor under Trevor Frecknall.

Trevor told the Post: “John and I worked together to create a club cricket section at the Guardian Journal and at the Post he was my deputy throughout my stint as sports editor.

“He kept the sports section ticking over when I was out covering matches and he must have been the only person I worked with and never had a cross word.”

John was born in Cambridgeshire but moved to Nottingham with his family as a child.

After school, he joined the Nottingham Evening News but later left journalism for spark plugs firm Champion, where his father worked.

His widow Janice, 78, said: “But John was never happy there and he returned to newspapers, which were his life. He absolutely loved playing cricket but he was willing to give it up to work on Saturdays and Sundays – so you can see how important his work was to him.”

John then moved to the Nottingham Guardian before his stint with the Post.

David Stapleton, the Post’s former Notts County football reporter, said: “I found John to be a true gentleman in the many years we worked together in the sports department.

“I can’t ever remember him raising his voice amid an often frenzied atmosphere. There were strict deadlines to adhere to at a time when the Evening Post put out several editions a day but John just got on with the job – the epitome of calm. I admired him greatly.”

As well as Janice, John is survived by a son and daughter, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

His funeral service will be held at St Leonard’s Parish Church, Wollaton, Nottingham, at 10.30am on Wednesday 7 June.

Cremation will follow at Bramcote Crematorium at 11.15am, with a reception at the Admiral Rodney, Wollaton, held afterwards.