BBC Radio presenter David Arscott has tragically passed away at the age of 81, his wife has confirmed.
The radio veteran, who was a familiar voice on Radio Brighton and later Radio Sussex from the mid-seventies until 1991, died suddenly after playing a game of tennis. The star passed away on a bench in the grounds of Lewes Priory on November 29 after playing a game of tennis.
His wife Jill paid tribute to her husband and wrote: "He liked people and rarely judged them. Although he loved his writing he always said that radio presenting was the best job he had ever had. Few things riled David, but a misplaced comma certainly did. David had long been the county's laureate, telling its story in his own words and in his warm voice in dozens of books, programmes and talks all over Sussex.
"He loved the records kept by Sussex vicars of centuries ago, laughing out loud at 'Buried Thomas Winfield, that old fornicator' and the baptism of the daughter of 'Elizabeth Rogers, a very noted strumpet of this parish'."
His career began as a newspaper journalist in London, Dorset and Caracas, Venezuela before he made the switch to radio. Known for his speech-based programmes, David often referred to his style as a local Radio 4, inviting guests into the studio for interviews.
Despite his love for writing, his wife Jill revealed that he always said radio presenting was the best job he ever had. The father-of-seven and grandfather-of-ten also penned more than 40 books about Sussex, with his last work focusing on Sussex poet Hilaire Belloc.
A well-known figure in the local community, David created a garden on the corner of Friars' Walk in the town centre, near the old Railway Inn where he lived. He lovingly referred to this spot as their 'forever home'.
In his final act, David gave his meadow its last cut in late autumn and planted a rambling rector rose under the goat willow, a gift that will bloom in the coming summers, reports the Express. He leaves a legacy of four children from his first marriage, three from his second, and ten grandchildren. His final resting place is Westmeston, nestled between the Downs and the cottage where he once lived with Jill and their children.
He graduated his English Literature degree from Hertford College, Oxford and settled in Lewes in 1988. He left the BBC in 1991 and was a proud Lewes FC fan for 25 years.
The radio star is survived by his wife, seven children and ten grandchildren.
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