ROY Foster, who has died aged 86, was an organ builder, volunteer with the homeless and dedicated member of St Mary the Virgin Church in Oxford.

But Mr Foster's 'magnificent legacy' is the Holy Rood Catholic Church organ which took him ten years to build.

He also volunteered at the Gatehouse, a drop-in centre for the homeless in Oxford, and helped with the Liberal Democrats and the local neighbourhood forum.

Roy Foster was born in Southgate, North London in 1931 to parents Albie, who ran a maintenance and decorating business, and Lily Foster.

He grew up with his older brother Eric and sister Betty.

An adventurous and energetic child, his mother would sew a £5 note into the lining of his jacket - in case he got into trouble - as he would hitchhike alone from the age of 12 - in 1943.

The Second World War disrupted his education and his childhood - his mother Lily became a full time air raid warden and Roy and his sister Betty were evacuated to Yorkshire.

He left grammar school at 15 and after a short time working with his father he went to the labour exchange and was offered a job as an 'organ tuner's boy'.

He was employed by one of Britain's finest organ builders Hill Norman and Beard, travelling all over the country tuning organs in churches of different denominations every day.

At the end of his five-year apprenticeship to become an organ builder he was called up for two years of National Service in the RAF.

Before his posting to Iraq, where he was trained as an electrician, he married Daphne Goldsmith - whom he had met at a folk dance, a hobby he would keep up until the age of 82, in London.

He returned home to his wife and seven-month-old daughter Jennifer in 1954 and the couple had their second child Susan the following year - living in a rented flat above shops in Lambs Conduit Street in Holborn.

In 1962, to provide more for his young family he joined American companies 3M and Xerox where he spent the next 30 years in sales, marketing and training.

It was around this time he first moved to Oxfordshire, buying a cottage which he restored himself and using the money to move to Islington in London.

After making retirement plans, his wife Daphne sadly passed away in 1992 just short of the couple's 40th wedding anniversary.

At the time he had been working for a team reviving the healing centre at St Marylebone crypt, where his first met his second wife Josephine King, who was unexpectedly widowed herself.

The pair met up through their shared experience and shared camping and walking holidays together before marrying at St Marylebone on October 25, 1997.

The following year they moved to their first and present home in Lonsdale Road, North Oxford.

He threw himself fully into Oxford life, particularly at the St Mary the Virgin Church arranging minibus trips, helping with charity events and joining the Parochial Church Council.

A chance conversation with his wife's cousin Paul King - priest of Holy Rood Catholic church in Abingdon Road - led to the building of his legacy.

Alongside organ builder Derrick Carrington he built the church's organ from 22 parts in 10 years.

He died on February 21 and is survived by his wife Jo, his brother Eric, his daughters Jennifer and Sue, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.