A photojournalist who wrote a “cancer diary” for a regional daily after a terminal diagnosis has died aged 80.

Maurice Gray wrote the regular piece about dealing with his illness, non-hodgkin follicular lymphoma, for the Eastern Daily Press for the past three years.

Croydon-born Maurice, pictured, began his career on newspapers in London before moving to East Anglia during the early 1980s.

He worked for the Lowestoft Journal and later freelanced for local and national papers, as well as The Stage and other magazines.

In an obituary for the EDP, Donna-Louise Bishop write: “From sharing his eye-opening cancer diary to photographing dozens of household names – Maurice Gray’s portfolio is one to be admired.”

She added: “From the late 1970s right up until 2003, Mr Gray, something of a technophobe, would take his photographs to be developed before delivering them to be used in the newspaper.

“During his career, he took pictures of figures from Peter Andre and Honor Blackman to the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, but his biggest love was covering stories for his local communities.”

Maurice wrote 14 instalments of his “warts and all” cancer diary for the Norwich-based daily prior to his death on 2 October.

He is survived by his wife Margaret, a sister, two children, two grandchildren, two step-children, five step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.

His funeral will take place at 10.30am on Saturday 15 October at Walcott Church, in Norfolk, followed by the burial.

Donations in his name can be made to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals charity Weybourne Unit, where he had been treated.