(Image: Family)
Tributes have been paid to a "happy and jolly" man whose body was recovered from a canal in North Yorkshire.
Shaun Barton's body was pulled from Ripon Canal on the morning of Sunday, September 13, according to his daughter, Gemma Cox.
Gemma told The Press Shaun, 60, who lived in Ripon, had been out with friends at the Ripon Bowling Club the night before his body was found.
She said Shaun phoned friends to say he was lost after leaving the club at around 11pm.
Shaun Barton with his daughters Kimberley Barton, left, and Gemma Cox, right (Image: Family)
The friends searched for Shaun but were were unable to find him so assumed he had gone home, Gemma said.
However the next morning, she said, one friend was still unable to find Shaun after checking his home and was later told by police that a body had been recovered from the river.
Gemma said Shaun's body was found in the water with his mobility scooter on a nearby grass verge.
She said the circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown and described the incident as being "out of character" for Shaun.
A date for an inquest into Shaun's death is yet to be set.
'One of the most loving, down-to-earth and funny people you could ever meet'
Gemma said her father was a "well-known person in Ripon" and "very liked".
"He was just happy and jolly constantly," she said. "He was a good person to talk to."
"Dad was one of the most loving, down-to-earth and funny people you could ever meet," she added. "He didn't need much to be happy, and he had a way of making us laugh even when we didn't feel like smiling."
Shaun Barton with his daughter Kimberley Barton (Image: Family)
Shaun, who had two siblings and was a father of three and grandfather of six, was "always there for people if they needed to talk", Gemma said.
Gemma, 38, a mother of two originally from Ripon and now living in Dorset, said her father also "adored" his grandchildren.
Shaun Barton with his grandchildren (Image: Family)
Shaun had a painting and decorating business in Ripon and worked installing stage lighting prior to that.
He was a music fan, particularly fond of the "oldies", Gemma said.
She said her father was involved in a motorbike crash around seven years ago which resulted in serious back injuries leading to him relying on walking aids and a wheelchair.
Shaun Barton with his brother Richard and one of his grandchildren (Image: Family)
Gemma said Shaun's health deteriorated after the crash "but he was still happy and jolly and the joking person he normally is".
Gemma has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Shaun's funeral.
The funeral will take place at Maple Park Crematorium, near Thirsk, on October 19 from 2.30pm with a wake afterwards at the South Lodge in Ripon.
Gemma said people are asked to wear bright colours and to bring red and white roses.
To donate to the GoFundMe page, visit Gemma Cox's page titled: "Help with funeral cost for my farther who passed away unexpectedly."