Kira Dalton described her husband, who died on Saturday, as a "fabulous" man and praised his work helping to rebuild schools and homes in Gambia as well as his scientific achievements working for the Department of Environ-ment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

She said: "He was a fabulous husband and father and was very involved in the children's education.

"Being married to him, there was never a dull moment. He was very intelligent but also very good company."

Sir Howard (pictured above) was born in New Malden in Surrey on February 8 1944 and started taking an interest in science from an early age.

He defied his father's wishes to leave school at 14 and became the first member of his family to attend university after being awarded a place at Queen Elizabeth College in London where he gained a degree in microbiology.

Russian-American Mrs Dalton, nee Rozdestvensky, met the scientist at an anti-Vietnam war protest in the USA in the late 1960s while he was studying in Indiana.

Fearing he would be called up to fight, the future Mrs Dalton advised him of an unusual way to avoid having to fight - by becoming a priest.

Sir Howard discovered a group called Universal Life Church of California, which for $25 would "ordain" anyone and received a letter days later telling him he was a "minister of religion".

Sir Howard returned to Sussex in 1970 and married Kira the following year. The couple, who have one son and one daughter, had lived in their village for 18 years and previously had homes in Radford Semele and North Leamington. He was also stepfather to his wife's two sons from a previous marriage.

In 1983 the scientist, who played for Rowington Cricket Club and sponsored his own football club, was appointed as professor of microbiology at Warwick University and often gave talks on farming and the environment to groups across Warwickshire.

The 63-year-old was knighted in the 2007 New Year's honours for his role as a scientific government adviser for Defra which he began shortly after the 2002 foot and mouth epidemic.

Shortly before his death, the professor had returned from a month with his wife in Gambia where the couple had a house built as a base for them to carry out their humanitarian work .

H collapsed on Saturday while taking part in friendly doubles at the Leamington Real Tennis Club and died shortly afterwards.

Mrs Dalton said: "He was a member of the Long Itchington HeartStart service and had been on duty with the emergency defibrillator the night before.

"It was a shock because I was still in Gambia when my son got the phone call and told me what had happened."

The 58-year-old said the family hope to arrange a quiet woodland funeral to honour her husband 's environmental beliefs.

A memorial ceremony is also planned for the Leamington Real Tennis Club in Bedford Street next month to celebrate what would have been his 64th birthday.