FAMILY of a Suffolk cricket stalwart and former Ipswich schoolteacher have today led the tributes after his sudden death.Roger Dickie, 57, died unexpectedly at his Stowmarket home overnight last Wednesday , leaving behind his beloved wife, Kate, and two grown up sons, Jonathan and Sam.

FAMILY of a Suffolk cricket stalwart and former Ipswich schoolteacher have today led the tributes after his sudden death.

Roger Dickie, 57, died unexpectedly at his Stowmarket home overnight last Wednesday , leaving behind his beloved wife, Kate, and two grown up sons, Jonathan and Sam.

Mr Dickie, of Childer Road, was the chairman of Stowmarket Cricket Club and a former deputy headteacher and acting headteacher at Thurleston High School.

Mrs Dickie, 58, found him lying on the bathroom floor.

She said: "He was a very well-loved man. It's fair to say everyone who knew him, liked him.

"We've no idea how he died. Maybe it was of a heart attack but he wasn't a sick man and it makes no sense.

"He retired in 2002 so he could have some quality time as his father died aged 61.

"He's had three years and I'm very grateful for them but it wasn't long.

"The cricket club was very important to him. He gave up playing a year ago but he still gave lots of his life to it.

"He was always encouraging the young players, saying the older ones should make way for them – and he loved his teaching job. Being a teacher was all he ever wanted to do."

Mr Dickie, was due to celebrate his birthday yesterday, was born in Coventry.

He moved to Suffolk for work, originally teaching in Bury St Edmunds, and transferred to Thurleston in the early 1980s. He married in 1969.

He also wrote a book - A History of Stowmarket Cricket Club – which was published last year and dedicated to Roger Bolton, a friend and fellow cricket player who died in 2003.

Son John, 31, said: "He was a kind man – popular and highly thought of by everyone. He always had time to help out and nothing was too much trouble."

Sam, 29, said: "We were all very close to him. He was the perfect dad really."

William Spreadbury, first-team captain at Stowmarket Cricket Club, said: "I've known him for 15 years and can't describe what a lovely bloke he was, a true gentleman.

"He was as much as friend as he was a chairman to anyone at the club and everyone is stunned.

"In his years as chairman he was also a coach for the youngsters, helped with fundraisers and dealt with admin. He basically ran the club."

A post mortem into Mr Dickie's death was due to be held today. The family have put funeral arrangements on hold until afterwards.

Would you like to pay tribute to Mr Dickie? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk