AS a judge, the most valuable skill Robert Seymour learned was simply to listen.

It was also a skill he used when he became a Samaritan in Colchester in 2011 and continued to do so for the next six years.

Mr Seymour, from Frinton, died following an illness in September last year, aged 68.

One of his legacies left behind was a book, titled A Deed Undone, which he had just published.

His wife of 45 years, Jane, continues his legacy by launching the book tomorrow.

The fictional story follows two Samaritans in training, who come to understand what brought them to this point in their lives.

Robert had already had law books published.

Gazette: Dedicated - Robert Seymour loved working with the Colchester Samaritans

Dedicated - Robert Seymour loved working with the Colchester Samaritans

His latest book is being distributed for sale among Samaritans.

Fellow volunteer Jill Burrows, who has worked for the Samaritans for 30 years, said: “No two Samaritans are the same, we are very different people.”

She added: “Robert was enchanting. All sorts of skills came through the door and although we kept our personal lives separate, something of that comes through in the way we work.

“It was his idea of being able to question people about how they were feeling.

“He enabled them to get their view across and he had great strength in that way.

“He would speak to people in their first training session about how important his experience had been and it was inspirational.”

Robert’s career was rich and varied including seeing him hear cases in a mountain-top hut in Cyprus and a nursery school in Germany.

He had worked in military justice for 19 years and was resident judge in Colchester for five years.

He stepped down from his role in 2009.

In his retirement, Robert served on Chelmsford Prison’s independent monitoring board and wrote novels.

His first book Wig Begone, written under the nom de plume Charles Courtley, tells the story of a newly-qualified barrister.

His second, Wig Betrayed, is based on the tough world of military justice.

Jill said Robert realised over the years how being a Samaritan had become an important part of his life and the idea for the new book came in 2016.

It was as Robert was working his way up through training to become a Samaritan leader.

She added: “He would talk poetically about how much it meant to him.

“It was moving for us to hear. You cannot think about him without a smile.”

As Jill has worked in publishing, she was best position to give professional advice to Robert about his book.

The story, about a fictional Samaritan branch, needed careful editing.

The book was published a few months before Robert died but it is still due to be officially launched tomorrow.

Jill added: “It was wonderful he lived to see it in print, to hold the book in his hands.

“A number of Samaritans have read it and reacted to him, it is a testament to him.”

Robert’s wife Jane, a retired nurse, said her husband was “everything good”.

The couple lived together with their dog, Phoebe.

She also worked hard with Jill to go over the book countless times, making sure it was perfect down to the last detail. Jane said: “Robert was terribly caring, highly intelligent and he was so good with people.

“I was with him for a huge chunk of my life and I loved him more than anything.”

Speaking about his time with the Samaritans and how it inspired him to write the book, she added: “I was certain his experience as a former barrister gave him his skills as a listener.

“I know becoming a Samaritan was hugely rewarding for him.

“He felt he was doing his best to give something back, he was very dedicated to them.

“In creating A Deed Undone it helped Robert to stay positive.

“It gave him a focus and a goal to reach with the book’s completion.”

n Robert’s book is being officially launched tomorrow at the Red Lion Book Shop in Colchester, where it will continue to be sold.

It is also available from Colchester Samaritans.