TRIBUTES have been paid to a much-loved and long-serving church organist and choirmaster, who has died, aged 82.
Miner Radford Crocker was a part of Swansea's musical scene for more than four decades, singing in choirs and making sure church organs were well-kept for future generations.
Mr Crocker, who was born and raised in Eaton Road, Brynhyfryd, spent the latter end of his life living in Ynysforgan.
He died peacefully in Morriston Hospital this month following a short illness. John Richard Davies, who had known Mr Crocker for the past 20 years, said he had been privileged to know him.
He said: "He was an honourable, wonderful man and I am devastated by his death.
"He was packed full of generosity and full of energy. He was faithful and respectful. I was privileged to have known him."
Mr Crocker, a former British Steel worker, spent most of his life immersed in music.
He co-founded the Swansea Organ Association and was secretary for 45 years.
Mr Davies added: "Perhaps one of his least noticed, but equally important contributions was as a gap-filler, using himself or fellow organists on a rota basis to help struggling churches and chapels to keep going their pipe organs, by making sure they were regularly played.
"Retiring from working life with British Steel gave him time to indulge in his one consuming passion." While still with the organ association, Mr Crocker - a tenor - co-founded the Swansea Philharmonic Choir.
He then went onto sing with Trebanos Mixed Choir and then finally he joined Skewen Choral Society.
Mr Davies added: "He was an action man. He was so organised.
"Even when he was in the hospital, just before he died, he told a friend he would be organising a trip to Merthyr for the organ association the next Saturday.
"He couldn't, so his family decided the trip should go ahead and so it was organised in his memory and the association went and visited organs in churches in Merthyr and Dowlais."
Mr Crocker leaves behind two sons, Radford and Jeremy, grandchildren Jason, Simon, Ashley, Richard and Hannah, and great-grandchildren Charlie and Isabelle. His wife, Rhona, died a few years ago.