Tributes have poured in this week to Okehampton legend Stan Stormont who passed away last Tuesday (May 24), aged 61, following a short illness.

Following news of his death last week, Okehampton residents have been sending well wishes to Stan’s family and sharing their memories of him, with friends and family describing him as ‘kind-hearted’ and ‘loyal to a fault.’

His son John Stormont said: ‘He was one of those who never asked for help but would always give. He would do anything for anyone. He had a kind heart and no words can describe how much he will be missed.’

Stan was well-known for his dedication to Okehampton and held numerous community roles in the town throughout his lifetime including governor of Okehampton Primary School, town councillor, long-standing member of the Courtenay Players and Okehampton’s very own Father Christmas, in which he took great pride.

Okehampton cafeowner, Rebecca Green recalled Stan’s pride in his role as Okehampton’s Father Christmas led to start of a long friendship between them.

‘The only reason we became friends was because I was putting on an Elf Outpost at Christmas and Stan came to have a go at me because he thought we’d be having a Father Christmas. I told him we weren’t and then he said: “You’d be a terrible Father Christmas anyway.” I’ve been friends with him ever since.

‘He was a real local man. Okehampton was his life. He was someone who loved the town.’

Stan later became Ethelbert the Great, chief elf at the Elf Outpost.

Okehampton resident and borough councillor Kevin Ball also paid his respects, saying: ‘He was one of the first Okehampton residents I got to know when I moved here. There was not a nasty bone in his body. He had a wicked sense of humour and I enjoyed our chats over the years. He was still cracking jokes when I went to visit him in hospital.

‘He did so much over the years and he was always involved in something in the town. He will definitely be missed.’

Meanwhile Okehampton Town Councillor Christine Marsh described him as a ‘character of our town’ and added that she was saddened to hear that he had passed away.

Well-known as Okehampton’s one and only Father Christmas, Stan was a keen dramatist and was especially active in Okehampton’s amateur drama group, the Courtenay Players, of which he had been a member since 1990.

By the time of his death, Stan had taken on the roles of secretary, stage manager and sound engineer, and sometimes even portrayed Simmons Park founder, Sydney Simmons, for the club.

John Davey, a member of the Courtenay Players, said: ‘Stan was long-standing member of Courtenay Players. He was secretary for many years as well as stage manager and sound engineer.

‘He appeared in many productions through the years. Stan had Courtenay Players running through his veins. He will be sorely missed by the club, but more importantly as a dear friend.’

As a great lover of words, Stan had a expansive vocabulary to the point Mrs Green said, that no one would play Scrabble with him.

She added: ‘Stan used to play Words With Friends with my husband. In the 470 games they played my husband never won. Stan didn’t even need to Google the words, he just knew them.

‘There’s going to be a Stan-sized hole in Okehampton and no one can replace that. What we can do is celebrate that we had him.’

Okehampton residents are now banding together to raise money for Stan’s family in order to support them while they grieve.

Stan had been a carer to his wife for many years and it is hoped that the GoFundMe appeal for £1,000, set up by Cllr Ball, will help relieve any financial worries the family might have while they adjust.

As The Times went to press, fundraisers had already raised over 50% of their goal in the week since Stan’s death, with the overall figure standing at £615.

There will be an invite-only funeral held at the crematorium on June 15 at 3pm at which a specially-written poem by Okehampton resident Leon Hendry will be read in memory of his ‘cheeky smile’ and ‘heart of gold.’

The funeral will be followed by a wake at Stan’s favourite pub, The King’s Arms, which will be open to anyone who wishes to pay their respects.

Anyone wishing to donate money to the Stan Stormont Funeral and Family Fundraiser should visit www.gofundme.com/f/stan-stormont-funeral-and-family-fundraiser.