THE funeral of the former Harmony Choir conductor and lifelong Falmouth man Vintras Collins was held on Monday.

Around 150 mourners attended Falmouth Methodist Church to pay their respects for the final time to 93 year-old "Ven", who led the choir for more than three decades.

Current conductor and long-standing friend Ivor "Raffie" Richardson, aged 85, told the Packet: "He was a gentleman, but in many ways he wouldn't take any nonsense.

"He was very dedicated to whatever he did and I don't know where the choir would be now if it wasn't for him and Bill Abbot keeping it going in 1979.

"It was quite an honour to take over as conductor from him. He was a good man."

Ven had already been installed as conductor of the Docks Choir in 1973, before it changed to the Harmony Choir six years later.

Raffie got to know Ven as a teenager because he was good friends with his older brother Joe, who was later killed during World War II.

Ven served with the First King's Dragoon Guards before demobbing in May 1947, after which he worked at the Docks.

He was conductor of the choir from 1973 until 2006, when he stood down to be replaced by Raffie, who now shares the role with Rob Norman.

Ven was also one of the main visionaries who helped transform local junior football in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

He always had a great interest in football and played for Swanvale Swifts in the old Falmouth District League and it was through this association that he eventually joined the league committee.

He became league secretary in 1956 and filled the position until the amalgamation with the Helston District League in June 1961.

It was during the late 1950s that discussions took place to redefine junior football in the district as it was feared that the game would stagnate and the standard of football and its facilities decline.

After a series of meetings, the leagues agreed to the changes and “Ven” helped to oversee the transition as league secretary of the old Falmouth District League to the embryonic Falmouth-Helston League.

When the new league’s committee was formed, Ven became vice-chairman and was succeeded as secretary by another stalwart, Gerald Sobey, who only recently stood down as secretary of the Trelawny Football League.

Ven retained a keen interest in the local game, as well as playing in the Falmouth Docks' inter-departmental football competition for the staff team.

Such was his love of Arsenal Football Club, he named his house after The Gunners’ old ground, Highbury.

Ven is survived by his wife Christine and sons David and Peter. His grandson Matthew played the organ at the service of thanksgiving.