Leon Shepperdson, chairman of Stamco Timber, died on September 27 after a short illness.
Mr Shepperdson’s many business interests included property, music, restaurants, timber and football. He established two additional arms to the Stamco Timber business – a builders merchant network, known as Stamco Building Supplies, and a national flooring business, Karelia Wood Flooring.
He was born in 1935 and won scholarships to both RADA and to Oxford University. He joined his parents’ company in 1957 while also following an acting career in both the theatre and television. A well-respected Shakespearean actor, his TV roles included parts in Dixon of Dock Green and Coronation Street.
In the early 1970s, he was a high-profile music promoter managing popular artists such as Eddy Grant. He ran a successful restaurant in Hastings for many years and had property interests in London and subsequently in Hastings and St Leonards.
Mr Shepperdson became a well-known local personality when he revolutionised non-league football with his dynamic leadership and personal investment in St Leonards Football Club. He led them in promotion to the Southern League Premier Division in 1997/8.
Once he had made his mark on Stamco Timber he enjoyed over 10 years of retirement. He moved back into the arts with the launch of a singing career and a debut rock album, at the age of 66, with his musical partner Stephen Cullis.
