ONE of Huddersfield's leading textile figures has died.
Mr Charles William Taylor, of Fixby, was chairman and managing director of Taylor, Livesey and Co for 20 years. He was with the family firm at their Linthwaite base for all his working life.
At its peak, the firm employed 250 people, but it stopped production in 1988.
Mr Taylor, 77, had trained as a textile designer at Huddersfield College of Technology, but was regarded as an excellent communicator, dealing superbly with people. He was described as a "natural salesman".
He was born in Huddersfield and educated at Ashville College, Harrogate, before joining the Royal Navy at 17.
He was on board one of the Allied ships that arrived in Singapore to witness the Japanese surrender there in 1945.
In addition to his work at Taylor, Livesey, Mr Taylor was a director of a subsidiary, Paddock-based Tayla-Knitt.
He became president of Huddersfield Textile Society in 1968.
Away from business Mr Taylor was involved in many charitable organisations.
He was president of the Save The Children Fund in Huddersfield for 30 years and was also a member of Huddersfield Pennine Rotary Club, serving as president in 1992.
Mr Taylor was also a member of Huddersfield Golf Club at Fixby for many years.
He was also vice-chairman of the former Huddersfield West Conservative Association.
Mr Taylor, who was a trustee for many years at Paddock United Reformed Church, leaves a widow, Mary, three children - Richard, Helen and Jane - and five grandchildren, Laura, Alexandra, Emily, Thomas and Elizabeth.
A funeral service took place at the Paddock church yesterday, followed by cremation at Huddersfield Crematorium.
