POPULAR Stroud artist Cyril Corio, who painted the countryside in and around the Five Valleys for over 50 years, has died aged 97. Cyril’s wife Pat, who was a talented embroiderer in her own right, passed away just five days after her husband, aged 90. As well as sharing a love of the arts, the couple did much to nurture a love of creativity in those around them. It was Pat who bought Cyril a set of oil paints as a first wedding anniversary gift in 1953, which led to a life long love of painting in her husband. At the time they were based in London, where Cyril was an engineering inspector and Pat was a legal secretary.