A FORMER curate of Kidderminster's St Mary's Church with All Saints', Trimpley has died, aged 96.

The Revd James Oldroyd, known as Jim, served most of his ministry in the Worcester diocese and was one of its longest serving priests.

He began working for the Church as an officer in the Church Army. As a Church Army captain during the Second World War, he was attached to a regiment serving in Holland, France and Germany, where he organised services for thousands of troops and supervised rest camps.

He was ordained in 1955 after training on a course at Worcester Ordination College.

Following his ordination, he started his curacy at Kidderminster, then taking up a similar position at Tardebigge, near Bromsgrove.

Mr Oldroyd became vicar at a church in Worcester in 1961, serving there until his retirement in 1975.

Sister Joan Hudspeth, of the Church Army, said: "I knew Jim Oldroyd first as a Church Army evangelist and then, later, as a priest.

"Throughout both kinds of ministry and also in his retirement, Jim was, above all, a person who cared and shared his caring in many different ways - as a pastor, friend, helper, guide and, perhaps most importantly of all, as a listener.

"He always had time to listen and to encourage. He was known as a person who regularly wore his shoes out getting among people.

"He cared for them and, in return, they had a special place in their hearts for him."

Mr Oldroyd is survived by his wife, Eileen, who he married in 1949, children, Paul and Simon, and three grandchildren.

His funeral took place in Worcester on Monday.