Shock death of sports-loving dad-of-three (47)

Super-fit Jon Carr died suddenly after rising at 5am on September 29th at home in Reedley Drive. Reedley. He was 47.

He and his partner Lara Oddie have three children, Hope (15), Lydia (13) and Myles, eight.

The couple met on the night of the hurricane in 1987 when they were both students in London and have been together ever since.

Mr Carr was an accountant with General Electric but changed career when he found his true calling in mental health care. He was with Adult Disabled Services in Hyndburn and previously worked in Clitheroe.

Mr Carr came to live in this area when Lara returned to help run the family bakery firm with her dad, Bill, and soon made many friends. He played for Burnley RUFC, where Mr Oddie was chairman, for around 10 years. and was a long-standing member at the Oaks gym.

A leg injury put pay to his time on the field, but he enjoyed keeping fit and supporting his children in their sporting ventures.

He encouraged his daughters’ netball skills and, as a former cricket trialist with Nottinghamshire, spent Wednesday evenings with Myles playing cricket in the summer and rugby in winter.

Rugby club officials and members were asked to wear the club tie for the service at Burnley Crematorium.

At the humanist funeral service conducted by Dawn Thewlis on Wednesday the family asked for donations in Mr Carr’s memory to be given to Mencap and/or Burnley Rugby Club.

In addition to his wife and children Mr Carr, the youngest of four, leaves his mother, two brothers and a sister.

The Coroner’s office is still investigating the cause of his death; results from toxicology tests are expected to take at least eight weeks.