Burnley journalist dies: family tributes

Well-known Burnley journalist Peter Storah has died aged 79 after a short illness.
Peter StorahPeter Storah
Peter Storah

Peter, who lived in Mereclough, died on Saturday, surrounded by his family. His funeral will be on Wednesday at noon at Burnley Crematorium.

His daughter Caroline, said: “The whole family and all his friends and neighbours are devastated. To us it is a life cut short.

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“He enjoyed nothing more than being with his family or friends. To say he will be missed is an understatement and there is a huge empty space at the head of our family.”

Peter was born and grew up in Todmorden and trained on the Todmorden Advertiser before joining the former Burnley Evening Star newspaper in St James Street in the early 1960s.

He was a tenacious reporter with many contacts across town and also wrote a popular humorous weekly column - Storah Says - for years about life in Burnley and his family.

In the 1980s he became a sub-editor on the national Daily Star in Manchester and then moved to the Daily Sport. Before he retired he also worked subbing shifts at the Liverpool Echo.

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In retirement he loved the Times crossword, classical and jazz music, good food, and holidays in the sunshine ... and always the pub with family and friends.

He leaves a wife Joan, also from Todmorden, who was his childhood sweetheart and they were married for 58 years.

The couple have two children Caroline, now 54, who also became a journalist and married to Roy Wright, also from Burnley, and Chris, a solicitor, 53, married to Sue Pitfield.

They have four grandchildren, Thomas, 23, Lucy 21, Oliver, 20 and Abigail, 18.

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