Earlier this month Crickhowell lost a well-known and much-loved resident, with the death of Louis Hurley at the age of 99.

Louis's father Frederick Joseph arrived in Crickhowell on the back of a cart in 1904 after seeing a job advertised for a 'Surveyor of Highways and Inspector of Nuisances'.

Ten years later he was County Surveyor, covering his 'patch' on a Douglas motorbike. He designed his own house in Crickhowell where Louis was born in 1913.

Louis's mother was a concert violinist and his father an accomplished cellist, ensuring that he and his elder sister Florence were raised in a happy house filled with music.

Louis attended King Henry VIII School then studied at the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff, winning a competition for the design of an airport in Splott.

At the outbreak of the Second World War he signed up as a gunner and rose through the ranks to sergeant before being commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant.

In the Orkneys he was involved in efforts to prevent enemy submarines getting into Scapa Flow. He was then posted to the Azores, to work on an airfield staging post.

In the Far East, where he won the Burma Star, he was involved in inspecting and rebuilding jungle airfields (using elephants to transport materials).

As a staff officer and with the rank of major, he was summoned to The Singapore Hotel in September 1945 to witness the surrender of the Japanese generals to Admiral Louis Mountbatten.

He was proud of the fact that he had personally accepted the surrender of a Japanese officer's sword.

On leave from the army in 1943 Louis had married his first wife Mary McBratney.

After the war they divorced and he returned to Crickhowell, where met his second wife Yolande, who was an art teacher and a gifted artist and dress designer.

The couple married in 1948 at the Baptist Chapel in Frogmore Street and lived for a time at No 4 Pen-y-Pound. But Louis had always dreamed of designing his own home.

That 'dream' became Fonthill - a bungalow on the edge of Crickhowell with magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. He lived there for the rest of his life.

After the war Louis had rejoined an architectural firm in Abergavenny as a partner - a firm that eventually became Hurley, Denbury and Morgan Partnership.

During his long and distinguished career he was a Fellow of the Ancient Monuments Society (from 1958), President of the Architectural Society of Wales (1969) and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

He was co-founder of Abergavenny Museum and specialised in the restoration of churches and historic houses.

He was also at one time chairman of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales and was on the advisory committee of the Brecon Beacons National Park, producing a number of booklets and pamphlets.

His many interests included archaeology, history and conservation. In his youth he played hockey for Abergavenny Town and also Bangor City.

Louis was very sociable and active in the community - and passionate about preserving Crickhowell's history.

In retirement he became an architectural consultant specialising in period detailing and the restoration of listed buildings. At least 15 churches were restored under his care.

A memorial service for Louis Frederick Hurley was held at Llangenny Church on Friday (March 30)