TRIBUTES have been paid to the founder of Kirbys Coaches, who clocked up more than two million kilometres while ferrying people across Europe.

Eddie Kirby, who founded the Rayleigh firm in 1952 after returning from the RAF, has died of cancer aged 85.

Mr Kirby, of Princess Street, moved to Rayleigh with his family in 1934. He attended Rayleigh Primary School in Love Lane and then the Rayleigh Council Senior School, now the FitzWimarc School.

He completed his education at Clarks College, in Southend, before going to work with his father in London at Lloyds Tobacco Importers.

Eddie’s entrepreneurial spirit was starting to show. He would take produce to work with him to sell from the family garden in Rayleigh as well as wooden toy boats he fashioned from scraps of wood and canvas from parachutes.

He also bought and sold wooden ornaments carved by German prisoners of war, who were held locally.

From the time of his recruitment into the RAF, just after the Second World War, he always said he did not wish to live or work away from Rayleigh. When he was de-mobbed he fulfilled this ambition by finding a job at the Hinksman’s Garage, in Rayleigh town centre.

Mr Kirby, who was one of the few British coach owners to venture behind the Iron Curtain, travelled all over the UK and Europe, introducing many of his passengers to their first experience of foreign parts.

He was one of just two British coach drivers to have been recognised by the International Road Transport Union in 1984 for 30 years of safe and courteous driving.

He was also awarded a coveted gold lapel badge for having completed 2million killometres at the wheel of Setra coaches.

He was appreciated by local town dignitaries across Europe for bringing English people to holiday in their town, often with a small ceremony and a commemorative keepsake, in particular Boppard and Bernkastel in Germany and Altmünster in Austria where Eddie forged close friendships.

Eddie was very much involved in the business up until his death. His two sons and their families have now taken over.

His eldest Son Simon operates Kirbys Coaches and his younger son Matthew operates his own coach business, working in collaboration with Kirbys.

They are very much family concerns with wives and other family members working alongside office staff and drivers.

Eddie was an active member of the Rotary Club supporting its charitable activities over many years.

He was a patron of the Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir and was an enthusiastic supporter of the Haltern Twinning Association in Germany.

His son Simon, 51, of Princess Road, Rayleigh, said: “A great many people will have fond memories of Eddie.

“He was a pleasure to work with, to travel with and to be with. As they say, he was such a nice, kind and gentle man.”