Gareth Marr, who helped co-found Accredited Financial Planning Firm The Red House Consulting in 2007, passed away on Friday, his former business has confirmed.
He had been living with throat cancer for over a decade and had undergone numerous operations and treatment.
Mr Marr was a major figure in the IFA sector for 30 years after founding Marr & Bradley in 1984.
He was chief executive of leading award-winning IFA businesses Moores Marr Bradley, Advisory and Brokerage Services and Origen.
He was involved in regulation and policy in financial services, through various roles including as deputy chairman of city regulator FIMBRA and as chairman of the Association of Pensioneer Trustees (now AMPS).
He was also deputy chairman of The Financial Skills Partnership.
He founded his last business The Red House Consulting with long-term colleague Ruth Sturkey CFPTM. Ms Sturkey announced the news on the company’s website.
She said: “It is with a heavy heart that I write to let you know that Gareth, my co-founder of The Red House and former business partner, mentor and friend passed away on Friday 27 May peacefully in his wife Jane’s arms.
“Gareth will be sorely missed by many but in particular his wife Jane and children Morgan and Sian. I will miss him, his optimism, his creativity, his lust for life and passion. Passion for his family, his many businesses, the people and causes he cared about, yoga and music.
“Gareth would not want us to be sad. He would want us to celebrate his life and get on and live our own lives to the full. For me, I am thankful for the fun and good times we shared, and all I learned from him. His memory will certainly live on.”
She said that he did everything in life with commitment and enthusiasm.
He retired in December 2013 and Ms Sturkey said his “passion and grit became even more evident” after this.
She said: “He devoted his last few years to work in the adoption field as a member of the Berkshire adoption panel. He went on to raise the awareness of the special needs of adopted children in the education system, becoming a school governor of the Virtual School (an organisation set up to represent adopted children in schools) and setting up the #adoptionschoolstrain in 2014.
“In true Gareth style he also rattled cages in the Department for Education leading to an invitation to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace by the DfE to thank him for his services to children and young people. Sadly he did not get to go. Just imagine the impact he might have had in this arena if he had had more time!”
She added that he had “amazing care” from the Royal Marsden Hospital and in particular Peter Rees-Evans during his time fighting cancer.