Terry Denton de Gray, the Hampton Hill based entertainer best known locally for his portrayal of Henry VIII, has died, aged 81.

Born on July 5, 1924, to actors Roy and Lyn Denton, Terry made his first appearance on stage in his mother's arms at the age of five months and never looked back, Throughout the depression his father, a regular in the BBC television show Dad's Army playing Winston Churchill, strived to keep the family in "the business".

His mother, the daughter of George de Gray, actor manager and playwright, juggled a stage career and a young family.

Terry was taught all aspects of stagecraft and discipline from an early age, appearing in his parents' shows and variety acts, as well as making props and scenery.

During World War II, Terry went into the tank corps and served in France and Belgium before being called back onto the stage to appear in the touring entertainments of Stars in Battledress.

Initially he did a magic act and then escapology. He ended the war touring Italy entertaining the allied troops.

After the war Terry learned furniture restoration, performed his escapology act using an iron lung and branched out further into film.

Cinemagoers saw him in countless films during the 1940s and 1960s, progressing from walk-on roles in titles such as Battle of the River Plate as a pilot alongside Peter Finch, then as a stuntman, working for, among others, Benny Hill.

Terry's physique and looks landed him modelling jobs as well.

He was chosen to feature as Britain's first Marlboro Man on posters worldwide.

But never one to be stuck in a rut, he competed in stock car racing, became a successful antiques dealer, an accredited graphologist to the police as Terence Gray, an impresario, astrologer as Jules Helios, theatrical and modelling agent, toured in the 1960s with his own company of drum majorettes and still found time to sail on the Thames with his old friend Michael Bentine in his own motor cruiser moored at Hampton.

In the 1970s Terry appeared at the Beefeater dinner theatre by the Tower of London, performing in a show he devised as King Henry VIII and Charles II.

Such was the show's success that he developed it into a touring production, performing all over the UK and Europe in front of the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex, Prinz Luitpold von Kaltenburg and virtually every RAF, Army and land based Navy establishment.

He developed the company into a thriving, multi-faceted business, encompassing costume design and manufacture for theatre, television and film, prop, scenery and fancy dress hire, as well as enlarging the shows to cover 14 different themes.

Those he enjoyed most were impromptu appearances at schools in the Richmond area dressed as King Henry VIII, delighting the children with his larger than life personality and his humourous explanations about life in Tudor times.

His commitment to the borough was firm, always happy to appear in the May Fair parades, Richmond's Victorian Evenings and even to sit on the back of a freezing lorry each November for the Hampton Hill Christmas lights parade.

Married first to Barbara, then to Angela, Joan and Maggie, he leaves his fifth and final wife of 26 years, Sheila, four children, Stephen, Helen, Diane and Giselle, eight grandchildren and five soon to be six great-grandchildren, as well as his younger brother Neville and elder sister Joan.

Terry died on March 6. A service celebrating his life will be held at Richmond Parish Church at 2pm on Thursday, March 23.

Cremation will be at Mortlake Crematorium at 1pm. No flowers are requested. Instead, donations may be made to a charity of choice.