The family of an 82-year-old man from Hitchin who died while out walking his dogs after being hit by a car in Pirton have paid tribute to a much-loved ‘gentle man’.

Dr David Woodbridge was struck by a vehicle on Pirton’s Hitchin Road at about 5.40pm and sadly died at the scene on Tuesday.

David – who had been suffering from memory loss due to dementia – has been described as a ‘gentle man’ who was well known locally and active in the community.

Hitchin-born David, who lived in West Hill, was married to wife Marion for almost 60 years. They had three children – Liz Stock, Gilly Procter and Ian Woodbridge – as well as six grandchildren and one great grandson.

Marion said: “David was a very gentle man. He would always stop and talk to the neighbours and he always had time for everybody.

“He was just devoted to me and I was to him.”

The couple first met at a Sunday school meeting as teenagers. They married several years later at the same church where they first met – Tilehouse Street Baptist Church. They continued to be long term members of the church and ran a youth club there, and recently David had dedicated time to looking after the church premises and doing the gardening.

David, who was a life-long scout member, enjoyed taking his 12-year-old black Labrador Slim out on walks, along with daughter Gilly’s border terrier Beccles. The dogs were with David when he was involved in the collision but the pets were unharmed.

The father of three also had a talent for climbing and felling trees and would often be called on by friends and neighbours to help them with the task of chopping down a tree.

Marion said: “I would like to say thank you to our friends at church and people in West Hill and around and, of course, my family because they have been lovely.

“Also, I’d like to thank the people who were at the scene at the time of the collision including members of the public and the police. Everybody did their very best for David.”