ONE of east Durham's oldest residents died peacefully this week at the age of 101.

Retired miner Jack Jolly died at Glendale House residential home, in Blackhall Colliery, where he had lived for the past three years.

Mr Jolly was born in Ushaw Moor, near Durham City. After leaving school at the age of 14, he went to work at the local pit.

After marrying his late wife, Mary, in 1929, the couple moved to Easington Village and then to Horden, where Mr Jolly was a miner at Horden Colliery.

Before he moved to Glendale House, he lived at Peterlee.

Following his retirement, Mr Jolly immersed himself in his favourite hobbies of painting and writing poetry.

He is survived by a daughter, Audrey Correy, and son, Eric Jolly, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Mrs Correy said yesterday: "My father will be sadly missed by all of us, but we feel very privileged to have had him with us for so long.''

A funeral service for Mr Jolly will be held at St Cuthbert's Church, in Peterlee, tomorrow, beginning at noon.

It will be followed by cremation at South Road Crematorium in Durham.