THE wife of a Steeple Ashton man who died after suffering a brain haemorrhage on Christmas Day has spoken of her family's loss.

Derek Cordrey-Gale collapsed just minutes after leaving Christmas Day festivities to walk his son's puppy.

Neighbours found the 63-year-old slumped on the road close to his Bartletts Mead home and called paramedics, who rushed him by ambulance to the Royal United Hospital, Bath.

His family left festive celebrations at a neighbour's house to be at his bedside, but doctors told them there was little hope of recovery.

Wife Frances, son Matthew and daughter Alison were at his bedside when his life- support machine was switched off on Boxing Day.

Mrs Cordrey-Gale said neighbours and friends had been rallying round to offer support.

"It all happened so quickly. We went out looking for him as he had been quite a long time and we met with the neighbours who found Derek in the road," she said.

"It was surreal. One minute he was walking out the door, the next moment he is in hospital and unlikely to recover.

"The hospital staff were excellent, they treated us very well.

"It was such a horrific thing to happen but we will not look back at Christmas in a sad way as we had such a wonderful day up to that point."

Son Matthew, 35, said there was nothing more anyone could have done to save his father.

"At least we didn't have the nightmare image of finding him on the road," he said.

"We have the nice feeling of knowing how much people thought about him."

Cards and tributes have been flooding in for the much-loved family man since his death.

Mrs Cordrey-Gale said during their 37 years of marriage her husband had been a kind-hearted and generous man.

"He was a gentleman and a kind, compassionate man. He got personal satisfaction from doing things for other people," she said.

"People said they will always remember him in his classic sports car smoking a pipe."

Mr Cordrey-Gale worked for Lloyds Bank as an investment banker and financial adviser for 27 years.

The family moved to Wiltshire in the late 1970s and lived in Trowbridge before moving to Steeple Ashton 18 years ago.

After retiring in 1992 Mr Cordrey-Gale took up painting and donated pictures to family, friends and charity exhibitions.

His funeral will be at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington at 2.30pm on January 9. The family are hosting a gathering at Steeple Ashton village hall after the service.