Ronald Ablett did not even tell his wife he had been nominated for an honour.

When the unassuming founder of Hove Society for the Disabled received notification from Downing Street that he was to be made an OBE, he quietly tucked it away in a drawer.

It was not until some time later that his wife, Irene, found it at the couple's flat in Kingsway, Hove.

She and the family managed to persuade him that he really should send the acceptance form back.

He agreed, but sadly died at the beginning of December at the age of 80.

His son Dennis said today: "My father founded the society and my mother was the driving force behind him.

"He would say that the honour is as much for her as it was for him because they have both put so much into it.

"He was made a freeman of the Borough of Hove in 1987, but only accepted it on the understanding that it was on behalf of the society's voluntary workers.

"The OBE is a fitting honour for my father as he spent much of his life putting others before himself. It is something which has rubbed off on all of the family."

He added: "My mother has not yet decided if she will go up to Buckingham Palace to collect it on his behalf. She is now 81 and may not want to go all that way alone.

"I live in Thailand and my brother lives in Edinburgh so we will have to think about what to do. It is just a shame that he did not live long enough to collect it himself."