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Don, who was born on Henrietta Street, clocked up a remarkable 50-year career working at the Whitby Gazette.

Originally, he wanted to be a fisherman but started working on the printing side of the Gazette as an apprentice compositor after leaving school.

He spent virtually his entire career there, apart from a three-year spell doing his National Service from the ages of 18 to 21, where he served in the Coldstream Guards and then the Independent Parachute Regiment.

Don Wood, as a young reporter, interviews Tommy Turner.

He was also taken on by local coal merchants Lionel and Alec Howard during a six-week National Union of Journalists’ strike period.

His wife Lorna recalled: “It was around about Christmas time, so every house they went to, they got Christmas cake and a drink.”

Don featured in the 1967 BBC film documenting a week in the life of the Whitby Gazette, Something’ll Happen by Friday, which was screened at Whitby Museum earlier this year as part of its 200th anniversary.

During his retirement, Don typed up a summary of his career highlights, recalling some huge news stories earlier in his career, when three of the town’s four rail links, including the scenic Middlesbrough and Scarborough coastal routes with their soot-lined tunnels, were axed.

Don Wood, pictured on Sandsend beach last year.

Another was the loss of Whitehall Shipyard – the last of the town’s once proud yards.

He spoke fondly of the Wayzgoose, the Gazette annual outing for a day at one of the village pubs, usually in Sneaton or Egton, with a series of games and a ham and egg tea.

A big day in Don’s sports coverage was when Whitby Town Football Club played at Wembley Stadium in the final of amateur competition, the FA Vase, beating North Ferriby 3-0 in May 1997, the same weekend the Endeavour replica sailed into Whitby in front of thousands of people.

"I interviewed some of the players as they boarded the coach and couldn’t resist the opportunity to to go down the famous players’ tunnel into the now empty ground,” he said.

The old Whitby Gazette office on Bridge Street, where Don Wood worked for half a century.

"But getting out of Wembley was now to prove a problem with the exterior gates and barriers secured, and for a few anxious minutes I feared I might spend the night there.”

He also remembered one awkward gaffe when the paper reported the death of a councillor, only for him to “drop from the clouds” on his return from a holiday abroad.

Luckily, he saw the funny side, saying he thought he should have had a better write-up!

Outside of work, rowing was a huge passion of Don’s, following Whitby’s Friendship Rowing Club, being made vice president of the club after writing the history book of the club, Friendship 1952-2004.

He enjoyed walking with friends and was among the first group to complete the Lyke Wake Walk.

He finished the Great North Run numerous times and also played football for Whitby Arcadians.

Don, leaves wife Lorna, children Karen, Sue and Deb, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

They have been inundated with messages from people who fondly remember him and describe Don as “a true gent.”

A service is to be held at Woodlands Crematorium, Scarborough, on July 17.

Whitby Gazette stalwart and Friendship Rowing Club vice president Don Wood dies aged 84