A FAMILY has paid tribute to an “outgoing, fun-loving man” who died suddenly this month.

Alan Osborn, who lived in Letchworth GC his entire life, began deteriorating on December 4 as a result of a heart condition, and died the following day, when he was scheduled for a heart operation.

The 66-year-old, who was born partially sighted and became totally blind in his late 30s due to a degenerative disease, was the chairman of Letchworth and District Blind Club, a music enthusiast and on the residents’ committee for Howard Cottage Housing Association, having lived at Boscombe Court since it opened more than 30 years ago.

Speaking on behalf of Alan’s 94-year-old mother Gwen, and nephews Dean, Nicola, Amanda and Paul, sister-in-law Sue Osborn said: “Alan was an outgoing, independent man who was really fun-loving and very musical.

“He liked all sorts of musical and he played regularly at Freeman House and Howard Garden Day Centre. He also went round to different shelters all over Letchworth playing his keyboard.”

On Alan’s involvement with the blind club, which lead him to campaign against proposed Letchworth Town Centre improvement works in 2008, Sue, who married Alan’s late brother Dave, said: “Not being able to see can isolate people so he just wanted people to get together. It was only once a month but it was important to the people that went.”

Another of Alan’s loves was radio, a hobby he kept up throughout a life.

“He used to do hospital radio for Fairfield years ago and he was doing radio shows on the internet that were broadcast to the world - he had been doing his shows right up to the last weekend,” said Sue, who also described Alan as a “whizz on the computer” and a man who “loved a gadget”.

The funeral takes place at Harwood Park Crematorium in Stevenage on Friday at 10.15am, and will be followed by a service at Central Methodist Church in Letchworth GC at 11.15am.

The family has asked that any donations be made to Howard Garden Social and Day Care Centre - where Alan used to play every week - and the Freeman House Amenity Fund.