Jean Tyrrell

Sirdar was Jean Tyrrell's creation, and she remained in charge of every aspect of the company's operations until her retirement, at the age of 80.

Her acumen won her the Sunday Times Businesswoman of the Year award in 1981, earned her an OBE in 1982 and appointment as a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire. In 1988, Leeds University awarded her an honorary LL.D.

Predicting weakening demand for hand-knitting wools and a rising demand for floor coverings of all sorts, she bought Burmatex – and a shrewd acquisition it proved to be.

Jean Tyrrell also moved into the hotel business, opening the Cedar Court Hotels in Wakefield and Bradford.

When she ran a business, that is exactly what she did – she was the field marshal whose decisions prevailed. Deferring to others was not her style. "Consensus" was not in her vocabulary. Her vision was clear and her aim unerring – and her success phenomenal.

Respected as a forceful character who led from the front, she was also liked for her congenial company. When Wakefield Golf Club gave her the unique distinction of making her its only honorary life member, a deciding factor was her sociability.

Mrs Tyrrell was the elder daughter of Fred Harrap (throughout her life she remained known to many as "Miss Harrap") who owned the yarn-maker Harrap Bros, of Wakefield. Her mother, Bertha, was Yorkshire Amateur Ladies' Champion at golf, and Fred played as well. Playing one another on the course, the two were famously competitive.

Initially educated at the family home in Sandal, opposite Wakefield Golf Club, aged 12 Jean was sent to St Leonard's, in Fife. Then followed a brief spell at a finishing school in the south of England before she went to read modern languages at Geneva University. In Switzerland, she took up skiing, and she was trapped there when the Second World War broke out.

The details are frustratingly scarce, but she was spirited back to England via Spain, her many adventures merely hinted at in later life.

The remainder of her war years were spent in service with the Motor Transport Corps, after which she joined Harrap Bros.

It was her vision which was responsible for the company's

transformation. Fred allowed her to put her ideas into practice, and business doubled over the next 12 months.

Following the name change to Sirdar Wools, in 1952 ("Sirdar" the Arabic for "leader"), it was she who drove forward the brand name.

Before Fred died, in 1961, he had groomed a successor, but his chosen candidate barely outlived him, and Jean, architect of the firm's success, and a director since 1952 and joint managing director since 1959, became executive chairman.

By now, she was Mrs Tyrrell.

On Wakefield golf course in 1943 – she had been playing there since childhood – she was narrowly missed by a badly-sliced ball.

The culprit, to whom she delivered a sharp epithet, was a certain Dr James Tyrrell who had left his native Ireland to work at Clayton Hospital.

The very next day, Dr Tyrrell and Miss Harrap met at a mutual friend's tennis party. In 1945, they married, the delay being due to the fact that he joined the Royal Navy as a ship's doctor, sailing with the Arctic convoys.

The marriage introduced her to yachting, but ended her horse riding. She had ridden with the Badsworth Hunt but her husband did not share her enthusiasm, and she sold her horse. She did, however, continue to attend point-to-points.

She continued skiing until injuring her knee in Norway in the '60s, and then, of course, there was the golf. She was twice (1967 and 1974) Captain of the Ladies' team and was still playing at 80.

Yachting was done on the couple's 30-footer, berthed at Abersoch in Wales – suitable for sailing to Ireland. After retirement, they made lengthier voyages, sometimes lasting a couple of weeks.

After the war, Dr Tyrrell went to India where he was in charge of setting up the surgical division of the Indian health service, preparatory to Independence.

Following his death, in 1991, Mrs Tyrrell became actively involved in community affairs, and served as a tax commissioner in Wakefield and devoted much energy to helping other widows with their tax affairs, she herself having had a very difficult experience.

She is survived by her daughters Susan, Maureen and Carolyn, and four grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at St Helen's, Sandal, on February 17 at 2.15pm.