A POPULAR Teignmouth teacher who taught hundreds of local youngsters, has died on his 60th birthday.

John Smiddy, head of the sixth form at Teignmouth Community College, succumbed to a rare form of colon cancer, which reappeared after he had been given an initial all-clear.

His wife Jane said he died at their Ferndale Road home, and never complained about his deadly illness, although he knew he would not survive long.

And the college principal, Tony Gray, paid tribute to Mr Smiddy as 'a dedicated professional' who had made the sixth form a resounding success.

Mr and Mrs Smiddy arrived in Teignmouth in 1991 from Hackney in London, after he was appointed head of history at the college.

'We knew nothing about Teignmouth, but wanted to move to somewhere better and safer than inner London to bring up a family,' said Mrs Smiddy.

'It was the right decision, and the area was ideal for John, who enjoyed the outdoor life.'

She added: 'He just loved working with the sixth form, and encouraging people to study and make the most of their potential.

'Since his death, there have been some beautiful tributes on Facebook from past and present students. The type of cancer he suffered from only affects about 450 people a year, and the recovery rate is about 80 per cent, so he was very unlucky.

'But he was never bitter, or complained "why me", and accepted his fate. He did not waste any emotions on his illness, and was able to put all his affairs into order. His attitude made it much easier for the family to cope.'

Mr Smiddy was an outdoor man, and enjoyed distance running, including half-marathons. He was a member of the Teignmouth and Dawlish Ramblers, and helped train and prepare the college team in the Ten Tors challenge across Dartmoor.

Last weekend, the college 45-mile team dedicated their entry to Mr Smiddy. His daughter Alice, 16, was due to take part, but withdrew on the death of her father.

Mr Gray described Mr Smiddy as a very loyal colleague, who always had the best interests of his students at heart.

'He doubled the numbers in the sixth form to about 200, and this year we had the highest number of university entrants, 65, including one to Cambridge. It is a reflection of his dedication.

'I think there will be a huge turnout for his funeral, including many past colleagues and students.'

Mr and Mrs Smiddy have two other children, Edward, 18, who is also studying at the college, and Jack, 21. The funeral will be at Exeter Crematorium on Monday at 5pm.