A former teacher, sportsman and coach who touched the lives of thousands of teenagers in the Lowestoft area has died aged 80.

Terry Moore taught at Kirkley High School – now East Point Academy – for more than three decades and was examinations officer for many years.

Outside the classroom, he was instrumental in nurturing the sporting ambitions of young footballers and cricketers locally, regionally and nationally.

Mr Moore was still heavily involved in youth cricket in Norfolk and in the Norfolk Cricket Alliance when he suffered a stroke in January 2014, which left him paralysed and unable to speak.

He died on March 27 in Lound Hall Nursing Home, where he had been cared for since April 2014.

Sport, teaching and travel were his passions, and he spent much of his working life encouraging those passions in young people.

A life member of Lowestoft Cricket Club, where he played for many years, he was key to introducing youth cricket to Norfolk more than 40 years ago. The Under 11 trophy for North Suffolk and Norfolk teams is named the Terry Moore Trophy. He even met his wife of 58 years, Anne, at a cricket match at Walmer Road, Lowestoft.

As a teacher, he ran football teams at Kirkley High School, North Suffolk district and Suffolk county teams. His passion for schools' football led him to a seat on the English Schools' Football Association Board, spending much time at the national development and centre of excellence centre at Lilleshall, where some of the biggest names in football first played in national youth teams at under 16, 17 and 19.

His Lowestoft school boy players in the 1970s included future England captain, defender and member of former Ipswich Town's FA Cup winning team Terry Butcher.

Mr Moore introduced Butcher to Ipswich Town. He always laughed about the clubs that had turned Butcher down for being 'not too good in the air' as he carved a career as a defender, winning 77 England caps in a ten-year international career that featured three World Cups.

Lowestoft-born Mr Moore was the grandson of a trawler skipper, and was proud of his roots. Brought up in Windsor Road, Kirkley - where he was rescued from an upstairs window during the 1953 floods - he became a draughtsman at Pye Television after leaving school, spending his weekends playing for Lowestoft and Beccles football teams and cricket. He was also a keen roller skater and was part of a roller dance team in the late 1950s.

He decided to retrain as a teacher at Goldsmith's College, London, returning to Lowestoft in 1964 to join the staff at his old school, which went on to became Kirkley High School, as a technical drawing teacher. He remained at the school until his retirement in the late 1990s.

He took his passion for travelling into school, offering students the opportunity to see the world by organising numerous continental school trips. He also led many football tours to tournaments in Lowestoft's twin town Plaisir in the 1970s and 80s.

The strongest advocate for fair play, attitude and conduct on the pitch was as important to Mr Moore as developing raw talent and skills.

His wife, Anne, said: 'How players conducted themselves was of paramount importance to Terry. He tolerated no unsporting behaviour or dissent on the pitch and prima-donnas had no place in any of his teams. People often mention this when they speak about him and say that this was a big lesson that they took with them through life.'

His family have been overwhelmed by the memories of his former pupils and team members shared on social media since his death.

His daughter, Rachel, said: 'Being a student at the school where your father teaches comes with many challenges, but in the more than 30 years since I have spoken to so many people who remembered him for his strictness but also his fairness and humour in the classroom, and respected him for it and for the difference he made to their lives, at school and in sport and the holidays he organised.

'He dedicated so much time at weekends and the evenings to help young people develop themselves, which is the best legacy anyone can leave.'

Mr Moore leaves his wife, Anne, a daughter, Rachel and her grown up children Will and Ted and son Andrew, who lives in New Zealand with his wife, Tam, and young daughters, Teigan and Libby.

Mr Moore's funeral will take place on Friday, April 20, at St Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, at 1.45pm.