A LEADING Southampton University academic has died of a lung condition.
Dr Joe Smartt, pictured, from Bassett, also known for founding the university’s first troupe of morris men, the Red Staggs, has losthis six year battle against a chronic lung illness.
His wife, family, friends gathered for his funeral at the Immaculate Conception Church in Portswood on Friday.
Widow Pam, 66, said: “He was a very modest man and a devoted father who absolutely adored his daughters, Helena and Frances. He also had a very strong Catholic faith which gave him the strength to cope with the disease with dignity.”
It is thought Dr Smartt, who was 81, may have developed his condition after breathing in dust in Africa in the 1960s. It was there he forged his reputation as an innovative scientist, pioneering crop breeding programmes in developing countries.
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