Sudbury business owner and paint enthusiast Ted Ingilby remembered as ‘colourful character’ and ‘true gentleman’ following death aged 90

With an enthusiasm for paints and inks that spread far and wide across many decades, it is no surprise that those who knew Ted Ingilby best describe him as a colourful character.

Family, friends, colleagues and customers have paid tribute to the Sudbury business owner – who died last month, at the age of 90 – ahead of his memorial service next week.

Mr Ingilby was widely known through his long-standing business, Ingilby Paints, which was the culmination of his lifelong passion for making, mixing and matching colours.

And that enthusiasm lives on through multiple generations of his family, with his daughter Sonya and grandsons Alex and Dom now running the company.

Sonya said the family had been touched by the outpouring of support since his death was announced, as people shared their condolences and memories of Mr Ingilby.

“He was such a character,” she told SuffolkNews. “He loved to talk, and would talk to anyone for as long as they would let him.

“One of the memories that people have shared, which did make me laugh, was that they had never met him, but they spoke to him on the phone, and enjoyed every minute of it.

“He was the kind of person where you had to make a cup of tea and sit down, because he could keep talking for so long. He was just such a nice man.

“One of the biggest losses is his knowledge of traditional paints. His passion was paints, and he had such a wealth of knowledge.”

A memorial service for Mr Ingilby will take place in St Gregory’s Church in Sudbury on Friday, October 25, starting at 3.30pm.

This will be followed by a celebration of his life at the town’s Masonic Hall at the top of North Street.

Mr Ingilby’s storied history in the world of paints and inks dates back over 70 years, and saw him apply his craft across the UK, Europe, Asia and Africa, before settling in Suffolk.

Educated in Kingston upon Hull, his first job in the trade was at the age of 17, as a laboratory assistant to the chief chemist at marine paints supplier Websters.

After national service in the Royal Air Force, he marries Mavis in 1957, and the couple went on to have three daughters.

He worked as a chemist at Humber Oil Company, and later Marsden Printing Inks. He then became head of development at Dufay Bitumastic in Durham, before leading the creation of a new paint factory in Ireland for Koter Developed Coatings.

Following further ventures in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Algeria and Libya, Mr Ingilby finally settled back in England and, in 1982, he launched his owned company in Colchester.

Initially focused on industrial and marine paints, the business moved to Glemsford in 1996, where it specialised in traditional paints for period properties.

His daughter, Sonya, said: “That was his passion. First of all, it was about the old-style solvent paints and doing lime washing.

“Then he got really into meeting people and doing colour-matching for them. That just grew and grew, and it became the biggest part of the business.”

Under Mr Ingilby’s leadership, the family-run company has helped guide various historic restorations, such as centuries-old homes in Lavenham and Long Melford, Grade I-listed churches, and windmills.

His expertise saw him featured in a segment on the BBC’s long-running TV series, Antiques Roadshow, discussing the famous ‘Suffolk Pink’ colour scheme on many of the county’s old buildings.

Alongside his business, Mr Ingilby was also involved for many years with the Babergh Tenants Forum, an organisation that promoted the interests of social housing tenants in the district.

Ingilby Paints operated for more than 20 years out of a rural workshop in Glemsford, before making the move to its current base in 2019, at the industrial estate on Mills Road in Sudbury.

Although Mr Ingilby became less active in the day-to-day running of the business in recent years, Sonya added that he ‘still loved showing his face and still loved to chat to people over the telephone’.

After his death was announced, a statement from Ingilby Paints said: “His love for colour and everything paint took him around the world, leaving a lasting brightness in the lives of everyone he met.

“A true gentleman, he was always ready to lend a hand, and his kindness and generosity touched so many.

“We will miss him more than words can say.”