Leo Groth, who sadly died recently, was one of the characters of the timber trade in the second half of the 20th century.
The son of an eminent Swedish surgeon, Mr Groth served in the Swedish Army after he left school. He came to England in the late 1940s and spent some time as a trainee in the firm of Foy, Morgan & Co. He returned to Sweden and was employed by Stora Kopparberg which sent him to England as timber salesman in its London office.
He fulfilled this function for many years and created a wide circle of friends in the trade and outside. Mr Groth was always impeccably turned out and his uniform was bowler hat, British Warm and furled umbrella. He was a great raconteur and bon viveur and he and his wife, Margareta, were noted for their hospitality both in the London office, where Margareta cooked beautifully, and at their homes, firstly in Tunbridge Wells and latterly in London.
He also organised visits to the sawmill and head office in Sweden and it was considered a privilege to be invited to join these trips.
The summit of Mr Groth’s career was his election as president of the Timber Trade Federation. This honour paid tribute to the high esteem in which he was held by the trade and to his service to the Federation in the early days of the International Division. He carried out his duties with devotion and flair and left the Federation in good shape for its second hundred years.
In retirement he and Margareta divided their time between their house in the south of France and their flat in South Kensington. He was assiduous in keeping contact with his former friends and colleagues and was still in touch until shortly before his death.
He will be sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues.
