Worcester Bosch founder Cecil Duckworth, who was suffering from cancer, passed away peacefully at his home last weekend (15 November).
The company has issued the following tribute:
“Cecil was a unique person, an extremely talented businessman and entrepreneur, a pioneer, a visionary, an innovator and at the same time a dedicated family man and a caring, fun person to be around, and of course a keen supporter of the Worcestershire area.
“Cecil had the spark of an idea, borrowed £300 from his wife and set up our company first known as Worcester Engineering in 1962. He pioneered the combi boiler here in the UK and grew our company to be the number one boiler manufacturer in the UK. He then found a good cultural fit with Bosch and finally handed over the reins in 1996 and retired aged 59.
“Cecil then started his second career, building the Worcester Warriors into the established Premiership Rugby Club it is today, with facilities and off the pitch experiences that are the envy of the Premiership. He also worked tirelessly in the Worcestershire community helping many charities and working hard on environmental topics by setting up the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust. In 2013 Cecil was appointed a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his charitable contributions to the Worcestershire community.
“He was simply ‘one of life’s good guys’ and he will be sorely missed by all.”