Eddie Lee, a former Derbyshire darts champion, died of cancer at the age of 83 on 24 September, 2008.

Mr Lee played against some of the top names in the sport, including world champions John Lowe and Eric Bristow, in a hobby that spanned nearly seven decades.

The former foreman for Rolls-Royce was famous for clocking up 180s and was known as the Legend of Derby.

He died at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary after an 18-month battle with prostate cancer, leaving two sons, Robert and Michael, and six grandchildren.

Daughter-in-law Patricia Lee described Eddie as a family man who was fanatical about darts.

She said: "After the death of his beloved wife, Joyce, in the mid-1980s, it was darts that kept him going. It was his passion and he played almost every day.

"Eddie was a sprightly fellow and hugely popular, both with his family and everyone who knew him through darts.

"He was dearly loved and will be very sadly missed."

Mr Lee, of Chaddesden, Derby, was declared Derbyshire Darts Champion in 1964, while working as a charge hand for Rolls-Royce, beating national champion Tom Reddington in the final.

He played for a number of different clubs, both in Derby and at a regional level, and was a member of Chaddesden Jubilee Club, Abbey Street 102 Club, and a life member of the Derbyshire Darts Organisation.

Dennis Ratcliffe, general secretary of the association, played alongside him for many years.

He said: "Darts was his life. He began playing at the age of 16 and continued right up until a couple of months ago, when he became too ill.

"I remember one time in the early ‘80s when he’d just had a hip replacement operation but, as soon as he came out of hospital, he was back playing darts at county level.

"He represented the county 150 times and we play about nine matches a season, so you can tell from that how many years he was involved.

"All the younger players looked up to him. They often said they hoped they would still be as good a player when they reached Eddie’s age."