My father, Peter Rhodes, who has died aged 86, had a successful career in sales and advertising working for national newspapers, independent television and finally for Golf World magazine. As an accomplished sportsman, this was his dream job, enabling him to travel the world visiting the finest golf courses and resorts.
Peter also played tennis, including at Wimbledon during the 1957 Inter-Services tournament while serving in the RAF, and cricket, but football was his main love. In 1962 he played as goalkeeper for Hounslow Town in the amateur cup final at Wembley.
Born in Twickenham, Middlesex, to Augustus and Marguerite Rhodes (nee Quèré), Peter had a twin brother, Michael, who died of pneumonia aged three months.
His wartime childhood was spent in both London and St Malo, France – he and his mother taking the first boat out after the country’s liberation to find her family. They remained there for two years; seeing St Malo being rebuilt was a formative experience for him.
Once he had returned to the UK he attended Ealing grammar school, west London, then went straight into the RAF for national service (1956-58). He began his career as a sales representative for Johnson and Johnson.
In 1960 he married Susan Sanders, a secretary whom he had met in a cafe in Kew, and my twin sister, Marguerite, and I were born in 1961, followed by our sister, Marianne, in 1964.
In the mid-1960s Peter joined the Thomson Newspaper group, where he moved into selling advertising. This was followed by a period as sales director at Telegraph Newspapers, then at Harlech Television in Cardiff, where he was leader of the Cardiff chamber of commerce (1986-87).
He joined Golf World as sales director in the late 80s, staying there until retirement in 2000, when he and Susan moved to Sherborne, in Dorset. Always civic-minded, there Peter got involved in local politics, becoming a town councillor and serving as mayor twice, in 2005 and 2012. During his time on the council he oversaw the transformation of Paddock Gardens from a piece of wasteland to a beautiful public space, opened by the television presenter Alan Titchmarsh in 2005.
My father worked for various charities, notably Save the Children, and in later life for local organisations supporting elderly people.
He retained his interest in football, supporting Brentford FC, and delighted in their promotion to the premiership in 2021.
Susan survives him, as do Marguerite, Marianne and me, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
