Obituary: Stuart Findlay

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Stuart Findlay on 24 March in Addenbrooks Hospital, age 75. He was suffering from underlying health issues and died as a result of contracting the coronavirus.

Stuart was an industry pioneer who helped to introduce the one-stop shop concept to stock garment supply. He co-founded Pelmark Promotional Clothing in 1978 and launched Morestyle out of the company’s wholesale division in 1989, supplying a wide range of stock clothing and headwear – ranging from T-shirts to oven mitts – throughout the UK and Europe.

As he grew the business, Stuart travelled the world sourcing textiles – initially, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Pakistan, before eventually switching to China as his main source of supply when the country opened up for trade in the 1980s.

In 1990, Stuart set up Morestyle’s own factory on the island of Gozo, off Malta, where it produced retail-quality polos and T-shirts at wholesale prices.

Stuart retired from the textiles industry in 2000, moving into the property business. He was a director, along with Result’s David Sanders-Smith (a long-time friend and colleague), of an old people’s nursing home in Wuhan, China. David reports that staff and residents of the home were devastated by the news that their well-loved British director had died, with the chairman and 100 managers holding a moving memorial service to pay their last respects.

David comments: “There was never a dull moment with Stuart. He was a strong character but he also had a very caring side, as well as a great wit – he loved testing others’ opinions, especially on the EU, which he had always opposed. He had a very positive outlook on life, which he lived to the full.

“He was a great narrator and could summon up a speech at a moment’s notice . He was at ease when talking on family and friends occasions as well as at old boy reunion functions and when representing the British directors of our investment group in China at lavish banquets in cities along the Yangtze River, from Shanghai Wuhan to Yichang.

“In our many travels he always set up competitions to see who could reach a destination first or win a jet ski race, (having already bribed a local to remove the jet ski’s speed control!). He loved to win and was not the best loser.

“On one occasion at Bangkok’s old Don Muang Airport he bet with me to see who would get through the Immigration gate first: monks have priority so Stuart then went straight to the front of the queue and bribed a monk a few Baht to let him be his helper!

“Stuart was a very colourful character and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.”

Stuart is survived by his wife Penny and children, Jamie, Rupert and Abi

Stuart Findlay: 23/02/1945 – 24/03/2020