RENOWNED architect, historian and conservationist Professor Patrick Nuttgens was hailed as a remarkable man who led a remarkable life when mourners gathered to pay their last respects to him in North Yorkshire.

More than 200 people attended the Requiem Mass for Professor Nuttgens in St Leonard's and St Mary's Church, Malton, at which the Roman Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough, the Right Rev John Crowley, officiated.

The father-of-nine, who lived in Terrington with his wife Bridget, known as Biddy, died on March 16 in York Hospital, from post-polio syndrome, at the age of 74. Prof Nuttgens held an active role in the church and parish.

Addressing the packed church Father Joseph Crawford, who was parish priest at the church before Father Tim Bywater, said: "He was a remarkable man and he lived a remarkable life.

Father Crawford said that Professor Nuttgens never complained about health problems caused by the disease and refused to let his disabilities limit his life.

He was educated at Ratcliffe College, in Leicester, Edinburgh College of Art, and Edinburgh University.

He taught at Edinburgh University and, in 1962, became the first academic to be appointed at the newly-founded University of York. He was made director of the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies.

Professor Nuttgens left in 1970 to become the first director of Leeds Polytechnic.

"He was, as is well chronicled, a distinguished academic, but he was greatly more than that," said Father Crawford.

"In some sense he walked away from the academic life when he went to Leeds to be director of the polytechnic there. He moved from being an academic into becoming an educator, and that was the passion of his life."

Father Crawford said Professor Nuttgens was a magnificent listener and a tremendous communicator.

"Patrick was all about people. He loved people. He loved to talk to people and he would talk to anybody. All creatures great and small, one might say. He loved to talk to anybody and he had immense and total respect for whomever he talked to."

The service was followed by a private interment at Terrington and a reception at the village hall.

Updated: 11:11 Thursday, March 25, 2004