LOYAL, dependable, the consummate professional - those were just some of the plaudits issued for one of the world’s leading stained glass experts when his funeral took place in York on Tuesday.

More than 250 people attended the service at St Michael le Belfrey Church for Peter Gibson, former superintendent and secretary of the York Glaziers’ Trust, which cares for and protects York Minster’s 128 stained glass windows.

They heard how his work at the cathedral had led to him becoming first an MBE and then an OBE,and receiving awards from abroad including Italy and America.

He was initially involved as an apprentice in the restoration and reinstatement of 80 Minster windows - the largest and most diverse collection of historic stained-glass in Britain - which had been removed during the war for safe storage elsewhere.

The work continued from 1945 until 1967, at the end of which all 80 windows had been restored and reinstated.

York Press: St Michael-le-Belfrey

Tuesday's service was held at St Michael le Belfrey

Then he was in charge of the restoration of the Rose Window after it was almost destroyed in the cathedral’s great fire in July 1984, which was probably started by lightning.

He was superintendent of the glaziers trust from 1968 until his retirement in 1995.

Roger Simpson, former vicar of St Michael le Belfrey, where Mr Gibson served as a churchwarden for more than 30 years, said in a video tribute that his wit, kindness and friendship would be missed.

He said Mr Gibson had been loyal, steady and dependable to the vicars of the church, and had had a great sense of humour.

“He was a consummate professional,” he said. “He treated everybody with great dignity and respect.”

Sarah Brown, director of the York Glaziers’ Trust,said Mr Gibson had described the fire of 1984, in which the roof of the Minster’s south transept was destroyed, as the most traumatic experience of his working life, and the restoration of the Rose Window had been uncharted territory for him.

She said that over the years, he had given many thousands of lectures, and his lecturing, conservation and consulting work had led to him travelling more than 500,000 miles around the world.

“His illustrated talks were inspirational and memorable,” she said.

York Press: P 7/7/04 York Minster fire July 9th 1984. The interior of the Rose Window, blackened and charred after the fire, is inspected by fire officers and Minster staff. (7831324)

The Reverend Jim Roberts said that on the day of the Minster fire, he had stood amongst piles of debris which were eight to nine feet high and stared upwards.

He had noticed not the Rose Window but a stone cross above it (pictured above) which had survived the fire, and had known that the south transept would be restored.