Arthur Hunt, who was director of social service for Hampshire for 12 years, has died aged 76.

He dedicated most of his working life to probation work and social services and held positions on many national and county organisations.

He was particularly interested in helping disabled people to lead more rewarding lives.

For many, he was the genial figure seen at social services committee meetings at The Castle, Winchester, puffing his pipe and peering over his half-rimmed glasses, nodding encouragement. His voice rarely went much above a whisper.

Born in Croydon, he joined the RAF towards the end of the war and was stationed in Ceylon. After the war, he gained a diploma in Social Sciences at Nottingham University, from which he later gained an MA. He became a probation officer in Nottinghamshire.

He was chief probation officer in Southampton from 1959 to 1970, when he became director of social services for the city. From 1974 to 1988, he was director of social services in Hampshire and lectured at Southampton University, which conferred an honorary degree on him in 1987.

In retirement, he took on many other posts and was almost as busy as when he was in full-time employment, his widow, Joan, recalled.

These included Rowans Hospice, Portsmouth, where Arthur was a trustee. He was also chairman of the Hampshire Association for the Deaf, a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, treasurer of Accessible Environment for the Disabled. "He did a lot of work with this organisation, fighting to make buildings more accessible and he was involved with the Federation of Disabled Clubs in Southampton," said Joan.

"He also worked hard with Fr Pat Murphy-O'Connor to set up St Dismas Society, for alcoholics, in Southampton. And he was on the Aarvold Committee that considered applications for parole from restricted perisoners.

His widow added: "While not heavily religious, he was very imaginative, I think it was one of his strengths as a director of social services, he was able to appoint the right staff to support him and he always encouraged them to extend their range of knowledge and experience. He believed that the OBE he received in 1987 was for the whole social services department."

Arthur was also a member of the Council of the British Red Cross Society; of the Committee of Enquiry into Mental Handicap Nursing and Care and of the Advisory Council for Services to Hearing Impaired Persons.

Arthur had cancer for eight years, but was able to lead a perfectly normal life for much of the time. He died at home in Southampton on February 28th.

In addition to Joan, Arthur leaves two daughters, Andrea and Melanie and four grandchildren.