A FORMER fruit and veg market trader who died last week has been called the ‘ultimate family man’.

Tributes were paid to John Owen, of Old Mapsis Way in Morda, by his wife of 61 years Beryl, and his daughters Suzanne Birch and Helen Jones.

Suzanne said she will remember a father, grandfather and great-grandfather who filled their lives with love across the generations, and said his family was everything.

“Everybody thinks they have the perfect parents, but me and Helen have,” she said.

“Dad was the kindest person – he was a giver not a hater and a lover not a fighter; he had more love than I’ve ever known anyone have.

“His family were his universe – he had my sister and I, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren and everything revolved around family.

“He was not a millionaire but in his eyes he was and he promised us he would win the lottery but in his eyes he had already had with his family.

“There are so few that were as tight-knit and loving as ours – mum and dad were married just over 61 years, and it’s a love affair that’s only finished with his passing.

“Mum and dad were devoted to each other; he had her on the highest pedestal and we, his daughters, stayed local and worked with him.

“His great-grandchildren are asking where he is now, even though he’s passed, and he while he was John Owen to most people, to us he was ‘Ha-Ha’.

“It’s a bit of weird nickname but my daughter Molly couldn’t said it right so she used to say ‘Ha-Ha’ and it stuck, and their kids use it.

“That’s keeping him alive.”

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Suzanne said her dad would have been a face known to a lot of people around Shropshire and Mid Wales, especially with his trademark flat cap.

Starting out at Wilson’s Nursery in Morda Road, John would deliver groceries to Bellan House where he met Beryl.

And his market trader persona meant he was able to give as much help to people as he could.  

“There was a joke on my wedding day that he had to go to hospital in the morning to have his flat cap surgically removed,” she said.

“Dad was the face of Wilson’s nursery which meant he was on markets all around Shropshire – a bit of a Del Boy, which he quite liked.

“Helen was told recently about a pregnant woman with a young baby who came for groceries.

“She lived in a flat in Oswestry and he said ‘you can’t carry this home’ and he said if you can wait on then he would drop it off for her.

“That’s what he did, he wouldn’t see her struggle and would give her kids some fruit too.

“How he made a profit, we never know.”

Eventually retiring at 80, following a return to gardening and his own business, plus racing pigeons.

John was a doting granddad to Molly, Tom and Lily, plus great-grandchildren Ruby, Lottie and Archie.

A funeral service for Mr Owen will be held on Friday February 17, at 2.30pm at The Parish Church of St Philip and St James, Morton, near Oswestry.