He was married to wife Barbara and had four children - Ian, Jill, Nick, and Sally - and nine grandchildren. He died at Earls Barton after illness, on 21 April 2007. His funeral on 4 May 2007 was attended by hundreds of mourners, including Northampton's club chairman Keith Barwell. There were so many mourners that it was necessary to set up more chairs outside the church. At the funeral, his daughter Jill said "He achieved more than most of us could in 10 lifetimes."