More than 400 people attended the funeral of Mr Colin Dawes (69) at Briercliffe Road Baptist and Methodist Church.

Following his apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce, Barnoldswick, and work with I.D. Developments in Burnley as a design engineer, Mr Dawes and his wife Dorothy spent two years in America after their marriage in 1966, where he designed school buses and railroad bearings.

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He spent a year at Tweedies, Burnley, on his return, but became his own boss when he was made redundant. He and Dorothy made American-style camper trailers, which they had seen in the USA, with Dawman trailer tents manufactured at Pasture Lane Works, Barrowford, from 1969 to 1985.

Together with Dorothy, her brother Alan Stanworth and Laurence Canova, they formed the company Standel Dawman Ltd manufacturing rotational moulded wide tyre wheels for electric golf trolleys, gear motor units and speed controllers which can be seen on golf courses worldwide.

And chance encounters saw the formation of AC/DC Lighting Supplies Ltd in 1994 for the manufacture of edge lit signs, and low voltage architectural lighting, with Mr Dawes again managing director. High profile clients included the Trafford Centre, the Natural History Museum, the Bank of England, the Foreign Office, the Beijing Olympics and the Burj Al Arab Hotel "Sail Building" in Dubai.

Both companies are based in Barrowford, with Standel Dawman Ltd. employing 25 people and AC/DC Lighting Systems Ltd 65.

Mrs Dawes said: "Colin had an enormous influence on the young managers and boys we employed. It was a testament to what a well-loved and respected manager he was that Standel Dawman closed the factory for the day of the funeral so employees, many of them young men who had been nurtured from a very young age, could pay their respects.

"The number of people who wished to show their love and respect for him, and who packed the church and the crematorium (some having to stand in the foyer) was an enormous tribute. He would have been very proud."

She added: "He ran the business with the same drive, vitality and passion that he had for everything in his life, and his enthusiasm was infectious."

In retirement, he joined Mytton Fold Golf Club and indulged his passion for classical music. He and Dorothy lived at Hawkswood Gardens in Brierfield for 37 years until moving to Simonstone last year. He leaves his wife, daughters Julia and Wendy, six grandchildren and many friends.