Sir Ken Morrison passes away peacefully surrounded by family

His family said he died peacefully at home in North Yorkshire with his relatives.

Sir Ken was one of Yorkshire’s richest men, and his family fortune is estimated at £800m. He was knighted in the New Year’s Honours List in 2001 and lived in a French-style chateau in Myton-on-Swale, near Boroughbridge.

His association with the company started before the Second World War, when, aged nine, he helped his father on his Bradford eggs and butter market stall. He left school at 18 to help build his father to build up the business.

When his father became ill, he returned from National Service in Germany in 1952 to run the business rather than see it sold.

Under Sir Ken’s leadership, Morrisons opened its first town centre shop in 1958 and first supermarket in 1961, both in Bradford.

His family said in a statement: “To us he was a greatly committed and loving family man, as inspirational and central to us in our daily lives as he was in the business.

“His drive and ambition, quick intelligence and encyclopaedic knowledge were matched with a real curiosity in his fellow man. He had a gentle humour and kindness about him and he could, and would, talk with genuine interest to anyone.

“A proud Yorkshireman, he never forgot his roots and had a real love for, and commitment to, the people and city of Bradford. We will all miss him enormously.”

Despite siring five children and running countless nappy promotions, Sir Ken ​is said to have never change​d​ a nappy.

“I’m not into women’s lib and that sort of thing,” he replied when asked if he’d ever dealt with that side of fatherhood.

Sir Ken like​d​ to encourage the view of himself as a bluff Northerner and disliked​ people ​asking questions about his personal life.

Asked about his wife’s reaction to the news that he was launching a surprise bid for Safeway​ 13 years ago​, he said: “Strangely enough, I didn’t tell my wife at the beginning. What did she say when I did tell her? She said nothing, she said: ‘Your tea’s ready’.”

On Fridays Sir Ken ​used to have​ fish and chips with ​the chief executive ​of the time​ in the staff canteen.

He thoroughly approved of the appointment of David Potts as CEO two years ago.

Mr Potts told The Yorkshire Post: “Having a fish and chip lunch with him was a pleasure. I always used to drink tea with him because I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I wasn’t a tea drinker.

“During those conversations he always demonstrated his very keen eye and a great sense of humour. The business remained very close to his heart but it was clear that his whole family was closer still.

“Despite working in stores from the age of 16, I never tired of listening to Ken’s point of view about Morrisons - always challenging, always supportive - I’m certain that one of my most important moments in retail will turn out be the past couple of years being able to listen hard to Ken.”

One subject that ​was close to Sir Ken’s heart was his beloved home city of Bradford.

​In 2007 he opened the Born in Bradford project at Bradford Royal Infirmary, studying why babies born in Bradford are so prone to illness.

As a Bradford baby himself, he ​wa​s determined to give his home city his full support.

His efforts earned him a place in the Yorkshire Hall of Fame, celebrating the region’s greatest icons from the past and present.

Those closest to him sa​y​ he ​wa​s hardworking, honourable, utterly committed to Morrisons, hate​d​ criticism, and underneath the bluster he​ was​ quite shy. ​​

​Ex-Asda boss Allan Leighton summed him up well when he said: “I used to go and have chats with him and I used to tell him everything and he didn’t tell me anything.”

Tributes to Sir Ken Morrison have poured in from business leaders around the country.

Sean Clarke, chief executive of arch rival Asda, said: “Sir Ken was a giant of our industry, a fellow Yorkshireman and a retail leader who everyone at Asda has huge respect for.”

Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury’s, said: “This is very sad news. Ken was one of the true greats of the retail industry - he built Morrisons from a couple of market stalls in West Yorkshire to one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK. And he always called a spade a spade. He will be very much missed.”

Andrew Higginson, chairman of Morrisons, said: “I know that I speak for the whole company when I say how profoundly sad we were to hear of Sir Ken’s death.

“He was an inspirational leader and the driving force behind Morrisons for over half a century. Although he retired several years ago, his legacy is evident every day and in every aspect of our business.

“Taking Morrisons from a small Bradford-based family business to a major UK grocery retailing chain is an outstanding achievement in the history of UK business.”

Malcolm Walker, the chief executive of Iceland, said: “He was the nicest and kindest man I’ve ever met. He was very trustworthy, and a handshake was always good enough with Ken.”

Veteran retail analyst Clive Black, of Shore Capital, added: “His story is one of remarkable achievement, taking a small family business in West Yorkshire to become a national grocery institution. His character, with its lovely quirkiness and idiosyncrasy, is written large in the Morrison business today; traits that we are pleased to see the current CEO, David Potts CBE, keep alive and kicking.”