A man who played a vital role in the design of the Polaris submarine has died at the age of 89.

Tom Young, who spent much of his life in Bath, died at his home at Timsbury.

He had enjoyed good health up until last Christmas but his condition rapidly deteriorated in the new year, and in March he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Mr Young was born and brought up in Portsmouth and was accepted as an apprentice in the dockyard there.

During the Second World War, he moved to Bath to work for the Ministry of Defence as a draughtsman, and rose to the position of constructor in the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. He was proud to have been part of the design team for the Polaris submarine.

Mr Young met his wife Doreen at a naval club in Bath, and they were married in the city on August 30, 1947.

They spent much of their married life in Bath, although Mr Young was seconded for two years to the Pakistani government and the couple were in Scotland for a short time while he was working at the Naval Research Establishment.

Their two children, Julie and Stephen, were both born in Bath.

Mr and Mrs Young moved to Timsbury in 1980 and soon became involved in village life. Mr Young gave full support to his wife's fundraising activities for the local branch of the Conservative Party and the Cancer Research Unit at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

With his wife he held whist evenings at their home every other month from 1986, and raised thousands of pounds for charity, only finishing last Christmas.

His family say Mr Young was a very practical man and loved DIY.

He put in his own central heating system and made many of the family clothes – including his daughter's first miniskirt – while also taking a great deal of pleasure in looking after the spacious garden they had.

Mr Young is survived by his wife and children, and grandsons Michael, Jonathan and Alex.

The funeral service at Haycombe Crematorium was conducted by Angela Martin and included tributes from his close friends Alan Blake, John Reynolds and Michael Fox, who had travelled from Canada for the service.

Mrs Young said: "Tom was a very modest, unassuming and honest man. He was very talented and could put his hand to most things. Essentially he was a great family man and will be much missed by many people."