AN "eccentric" Pershore illustrator has died aged 82.

Rufus Segar, who had lived in Pershore for the past 16 years, died on May 7 following a fall at home.

Mr Segar, who was born in Ipswich, lived a colourful and craft-filled life, according to his son, Rupert.

Rupert said: "As a young man, unusually, Rufus attended two grammar schools in North Wales — one for an A-level in maths and the other for an A-level in art. At Liverpool College of Art, Rufus fell in with a group of anarchists and moved into number 101, a communal house on Upper Parliament Street, where he met his wife, Sheila Bullard.

"Rufus followed Sheila to London and began work as a cardboard box designer and moved on to graphic design and layout. At the time when food came off rationing, Rufus designed the box for Trex cooking fat.

"As a young father, Rufus went to jail for three months in Pentonville Prison rather than do national service. As an anarchist, he said he could never obey an order to kill. In 1955, Pentonville had a death row, but most of the prisoners served short-term sentences. During his time inside, Rufus was head librarian, learned to roll cigarettes one-handed and made chess sets for the warders.

"During the 1960s, Rufus designed and illustrated the monthly Anarchy magazine. It was his bold use of colour on the covers that gave the publication prominence. Every issue was an experiment in its own right, capturing the visual excitement of the decade."

For many years Mr Segar worked as an illustrator and graphic designer for the Economist Intelligence Unit. However, his son said his greatest love was reserved for the books he illustrated, which included The Cockney Alphabet, Remember Hythe, and On the Tip of My Tongue.

Rupert added: "Rufus enjoyed his retirement in both Hythe and Pershore. He held a sell-out exhibition of his pictures in Pershore in 2011. In recent years, he fell ill and became increasingly frail. For the last couple of years he stopped drawing. He was depressed and distressed. However, last February, following medical treatment, he began sketching again.

"He died suddenly following a fall down the stairs at his home in Pershore. He leaves behind his wife, Sheila, three sons, Rupert, BJ and Dan, as well as two grandchildren, Hannah and Rufus Hugh."

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