A POPULAR estate agent from Hampshire who worked in Southampton for more than 40 years has died.

Grandfather-of-six Toby Wheatley had been celebrating his niece’s wedding in Scotland with his family days before he suffered a heart attack.

The 56-year old’s funeral is being held on the same day as the 37th wedding anniversary to his wife Lois, today, in the same church where they got married.

Mourners are expected to gather at 2.30pm at All Saints Church in Botley where his father had also been a vicar.

A former warden of the church, he had been working at Pearsons estate agents in Hedge End as an auctioneer, before he died last week.

Survived by three children, daughters Lydia, 35, and Lucinda, 30, and his son Tristan, 33, who said: “He loved family, his faith, working and pubs. He lived for the moment. He made friends very easily, he was a very loving man."

“He had a heart attack at 42 which he survived. He didn’t survive this one but he didn’t change his diet or anything. He wasn’t scared of death. He was quite happy to carry on with same amount.”

Toby had been part of the property industry for the past 40 years but recently had been helping people put their properties under the hammer at Pearsons in Hedge End.

Former managing director of Pearsons Estate Agents, Roger Parsons, said his business legacy was in setting up a “successful” auctions department.

He added: “Once you met Toby, you remembered him. He was a very affable man with a lot of character and a lot of fun.”

Flowers are requested only from family members. Any donations will be split between the National Autistic Society and Botley’s All Saints Church.

Cheques can be sent to A H Freemantle Funeral Directors, 19 High Street, Botley, SO30 2EA or call 01489 876546.