A MAN credited with setting up Stroke Awareness Day, which has helped provide free blood pressure checks to thousands of people, has died aged 77.

Tony de St Dalmas, a member of the Rotary Club of Southgate, and a freeman of the City of London, was described as “much loved and respected” by members of Rotary International.

He died unexpectedly on Tuesday following an operation.

His wife Peggy, said: "The motto of rotary is service above self and my husband really epitomised that. He was an eloquent speaker and in demand to go all over the world. We travelled quite extensively visiting other rotary projects. We had some wonderful shared experiences together and he had a wonderful sense of humour. He was a good kind man and a mentor to so many. We had no children but always considered Rotary to be our family."

Mr de St Dalmas was a national advisor to Polioplus, a Rotary campaign for immunisation of children against the disease, for which he secured funding from the UK Government, and was awarded with the International Service Award for a Polio Free World.

The former solicitor had also been a president of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland, a director of Rotary International (RI) and was chair of its executive committee.

Current RI President, John Kenny, for whom Mr de St Dalmas worked as an aide, said: “Tony and I were friends for more than 20 years. He was assiduous in his duties and meticulous in attending to the many facets of the position. I valued Tony as a confidant."

Mrs de St Dalmas has organised a thanksgiving service at 2pm on Friday July 2 at St Paul's Church, Church Hill, Winchmore Hill.

Mr de St Dalmas also won the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service.