Gordon Clark, who died on 5 May, 2008, aged 82, was a bank manager who was also a trained glider pilot and jazz enthusiast, and he prided himself on personal fair dealings with all his customers.

He managed the National Westminster Bank in Church Street, Stoke, until 1986, and died in hospital in Stoke-on-Trent.

Born in Hull, Mr Clark attended Hull Grammar School, and his first job was at the National Provincial Bank in his home city, beginning a career on which he had set his heart.

He had two brothers, one of whom was a rear gunner, who was killed during the war, and the other who died through drinking unpasteurised milk.

Mr Clark’s banking career was briefly interrupted by army service, in which he trained as a glider pilot in a short-lived regiment which had been engaged in parachute drops over Arnhem. He had trained for new ventures in Japan, but the war ended abruptly with the atom bomb on Hiroshima.

The war over, he resumed his career in Hull, and moves followed to Northampton, Rugby and Birmingham before he came to Stoke in 1970. A merger created the relaunched National Westminster, which occupied premises in Church Street, Stoke, the home of the former District Bank.

Banks now are heavily dependant on electronics, and may have several employees designated as managers. In Mr Clark’s time, the manager was a man of considerable social status, with well-developed skills in client assessment.

His retirement brought many tributes to his judgment and fair personal dealing. His wife recalls a man approaching him in the street after retirement to say how he wished he had followed her husband’s advice.

He met his wife Aileen when he was sent to inspect a bank at Doncaster, where she worked. They were married in 1960 at Hatfield, near Doncaster.

Their first married home was in Northampton. There were to be two sons: John, now a lawyer in London, and David, an IT expert in Warrington.

Mrs Clark was to serve as an elected member of Newcastle Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council. She said their two busy lives pointed up different approaches to people. He had quiet charm and what she called a dry sense of humour and was content to let her get on with her council work without getting involved.

Those who knew Mr Clark testified to his precise and methodical work. His neat handwriting was legendary. He had an interest in sport, playing football and hockey as a young man and turning to golf later in life, as a member of Newcastle Golf Club.

He belonged to Stoke Rotary Club and had joined Rugby Round Table, and 41 Club when he worked there, and the Newcastle 41 club on arriving in Stoke in 1970. He and his wife set up home in the Westlands, and for relaxation he enjoyed listening to modern jazz.

He was a committee member of the Army Benevolent Fund and a magistrate, sitting once a week at the Fenton court. To complete his very active life in retirement, he was also a Commissioner of Taxes. Holidays often took Mr and Mrs Clark to America, where they had built up a circle of friends which started in golf club meetings with American visitors.

His funeral took place on 13 May at Newcastle Crematorium.