AN INTERNATIONAL pistol shooter who represented Great Britain has died at the age of 82.

Gordon Marshall Jones, who was born on August 21, 1931 in Lancashire, died at home in The Circle, Uplands, on Thursday, January 16.

The great-grandfather lived in Lancashire until the Second World War when he was evacuated with his mother and sister to Llandaniel in Anglesey.

After the war he went to work as an apprentice mechanic back in Lancashire before entering national service at the age of 18 where he spent two years. in Gordon moved to Stroud after completing his national service before serving where he served for two years in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers.

Gordon met his future wife Brenda while living in Middle Street in Stroud, and the pair, who were married in 1956, went on to have three children, Anne, David and Jonathan, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Although Gordon worked as an engineer for T H and J Daniels in Stroud for the majority of his working life, his real passion was target shooting, which he started while when in the Army and carried on in Stroud when he joined the Leonard Stanley Rifle and Pistol Club in 1959.

During his time with the club, he represented Great Britain in international matches on numerous occasions in both air pistol and rim-fire pistol disciplines.

In 2009 he was awarded the National Smallbore Rifle Association distinguished service medal for 27 years' service to pistol coaching in Gloucestershire and was made a life member of the Leonard Stanley club.

His son Jonathan Jones said: “His passing remains a sad loss to target shooting in the county.” Dozens of friends and relatives filled All Saints Church in Uplands on Wednesday, February 5, for his funeral.