Thomas Charles Mansfield, a major figure within the fresh produce industry for more than 50 years, has died suddenly at his home in Suffolk.
Mansfield, 77, set up his first business, a retail outlet, in Stevenage in 1952 and quickly established himself as a leading supplier of fruit and vegetables in the Hertfordshire area, even sourcing produce from Sandringham in Norfolk.
In 1965 he branched out further, establishing a leading haulage firm, Bowman Haulage, based in Jersey.
Retiring from his Stevenage operations in 1989, Mansfield then bought a business within the old Spitalfield wholesale market, which he built into a substantial operation and ran it up until the market’s closure. In his spare time, he also bred racehorses.
A small family funeral will be held in Brentwood, and any donations should be made to the British Heart Foundation.
Mansfield leaves behind his wife Jean, daughters Anne and Jackie and four grandchildren.
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