A BUSINESSMAN who helped bring a university to Worcester has died.

Albert Morris, who was 91 and lived in Whittington, was a former governor of Worcester College of Higher Education in Oldbury Road and among a group of forward-thinking people whose efforts led to what is today the University of Worcester.

As retired city lawyer David Hallmark explained: “Albert’s links with the local commercial community and his wise counsel brought him to the role as governor of the evolving educational institution that was emerging into the University of Worcester.”

It was a long way from where Mr Morris started. His daughter Jean Woodhouse, explained: “My dad was born in Birmingham in 1925 . It was a large family of six and he was the youngest child and very sickly. They were very poor, living in one of the slum areas of the city with shared toilets and no bathroom.”

During the Second World War, Mr Morris served in the Royal Artillery in India. Returning home he marred his childhood sweetheart Betty and they set about building their new life.

“They were ambitious,” said Mrs Woodhouse, “and worked extremely hard to get out of poverty. They moved when I was two from Birmingham to Norwich, when my dad took a new job at Mann Egerton.

"We had a lot of fun as a family. Dad was in Rotary and my brother Tim and I did many treasure hunts with them. We always came last because dad always got lost and we had to stop at pubs to ask directions."

The family moved to Whittington from Norwich in 1974 when Mr Morris took a job at Duport in Tipton, West Midlands.

During his business career in Worcester, Mr Morris, who was a Liveryman in the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers with Freedom of the City of London, revived the traditional, hand made furniture business Old Worcester Furniture, which had workshops on Shrub Hill Trading Estate.

Using his experience as former chief executive of one of the largest mass produced furniture groups in Europe, and together with John Teece, he saved the 60 years old firm from the liquidator.

Mr Morris was a Freemason for many years, a member of the Union Lodge Norwich. He had been married to Betty for 66 years before she died in October, 2015.

His funeral service will be at 3.15pm on Friday, December 1 at Worcester Crematorium.