Gentleman. It is the one word more than any other that summed up Geoff Gilbert, says colleague of 47 years John Bysouth. Geoff died on 18 March, just a week before he would have celebrated his 87th birthday.

Twice chairman of Stone Federation Great Britain (1982-3 and 1990-1), Geoff had also been President of the London Association of Master Stonemasons (LAMS) in 1974/5, President of the Federation of Building Specialist Contractors in 1985 and Honorary Vice-President of the Building Employers Confederation in 1989. He was also chairman of the masonry company he formed with Bill Turbull in 1955, Gilbert & Turnbull Ltd.

John Bysouth, a more recent President of Stone Federation Great Britain, first met Geoff in 1958 when John started attending LAMS meetings. "The one word that would fit him is gentleman," says John. "I never saw him rattled. He was always friendly. He would go out of his way to help anyone - even a competitor."

Geoff started his apprenticeship in the stone industry in the early 1930s with Albion when they had a yard at Colliers Wood, south London. He was following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had a small stonemasonry business, but not his father, who had gone into joinery.

During World War II Geoff served in the Royal Corps of Signals. He returned to stonemasonry after the war and worked for several companies in Wandsworth Road, which was a centre of stonemasonry at that time.

He and Bill Turbull started Gilbert & Turbull in Croyden and their first job was at St George\'s Chapel at Windsor.

Over time the business gradually grew and moved to Selsdon, just outside Croydon, in the early 1960s. Geoff moved back into Wandsworth Road later in the \'60s, taking over the yard of Timms & Timms when they retired.

In the early 1970s, with the business still growing, Gilbert & Turnbull moved in with Dove Bros at the Angel, Islington, leasing part of their yard and selling an interest in the business to Dove Bros, which eventually proved to be a mistake, says Charlie Gilbert, Geoff\'s son, who today runs Stone Restoration Services.

Dove was bought by McLaughlin & Harvey, who also bought Gilbert & Turnbull. When they went out of business in the early 1990s they took Gilbert & Turnbull with them. Geoff later became chairman of Stone Restoration Services, which he remained until his death. "It was nice to work with him for so long," says Charlie.

Geoff was always a champion of training in the industry and often pointed out that it would fruitless to promote the use of stone if the skills did not exist to work it.

Outside of work, Geoff always enjoyed sport, especially football, and became involved in the administration of more than one semi-professional club, especially those that Charlie was playing for. He frequently attended Chelsea and Fulham games.

In his youth he had played cricket and football, but an operation in his 20s left him with a weakened knee.

Geoff leaves a widow, Vi. Charlie was his only son. The funeral took place at Morden Crematorium in Surrey.