Tributes have been pouring in for the founder of one of the best-known small estate agencies in the South of England following his death last week aged 76.

Guy Leonard, who founded his eponymous agency in 1992, developed the company into a two-branch West Sussex business with offices in Storrington and Pulborough. It is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary.

He then sold it in 2011 and opened a B&B with his wife but was also active in the world of fund raising for charity including being a director of the Mary How Trust for Cancer Prevention. Guy was also a member of a church charitable company that holds the financial assets of the Diocese of Chichester.

Superb agent

The editor of the local paper in Sussex has described him as a ‘superb estate agent’ in his obituary, going on to describe him as  “more social worker than seller of houses because of his passionate interest and concern for all those whose lives he touched – always for the better.

“He was an elegant, charismatic raconteur – always able to dissolve any group into tears of laughter with the anecdotes from his life. What a rich life it was. Married to Mary and with a son Giles, they were a wonderful team – at the heart of life in their village of Amberley.”

Health

But more recently his health deteriorated and sadly Guy had to withdraw from the many causes and organisations that received his energetic support, his wife reports.

He joined the banking sector originally before switching to estate agency during the 1980s joining a firm in Horsham before later joining Humberts and then setting up his own business.

His funeral will be on Friday October 7 at 2.30pm at St Michael’s Church, Amberley.

Read more about estate agencies in Sussex.

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