Former Home Hardware SouthWest director and BHF national president Gerald Kingdon died at Barnstaple Hospital on April 28. He was 79.
Mr Kingdon was a long-standing director of the family firm, Building Supplies (South Molton), and also joined the board of Barnford's (Devon) Ltd in 1972, before its relaunch in 1974 as Home Hardware SouthWest. He was appointed company secretary of HHSW in 1986, and continued in this role until 2007.

He was successively chairman of the North Devon branch of the National Federation of Ironmongers, president of the London and Southern Counties Ironmongers Association, and in 1993, national president of the British Hardware Federation.

"Gerald was a tower of strength, and a kind and generous colleague and supporter," said Home Hardware SouthWest executive chairman John Fewings. "He will be greatly missed by his many friends, in the many and varied interests that he held, during his busy life. He was seldom lost for words, and made his own tremendous contribution to everything in which he was closely interested in and involved. His contribution as a fellow director of Home Hardware and as a personal valued friend of 46 years standing is irreplaceable."

The funeral was at South Molton on May 8.