Obituary: Well-known Calderdale character who owned popular restaurant, helped build the M62 and loved Range Rovers

Jeffrey Doyle was an entrepreneur who owned several businesses including Crabfield Farm Restaurant and a plant hire and motorway maintenance business.

The restaurant was famous for its disco and cabaret bar, and hosted many of the music and TV stars of the 1970s.

Mr Doyle was born in 1942 in Brighouse. His family moved to Soyland when he was young and he, along with his two sisters and brother, travelled to school by horse and cart.

He had a love for repairing things and tractors, wagons and diggers. He started working with Calderdale Highways, both maintaining and - his greatest passion - gritting the roads.

His son Marcus said: “He had state-of-the art equipment for the time, with giant snow-moving equipment, gritters and heavy plant to do the job.

"He branched out into cattle transport, plant and equipment hire and dabbled with farming. He even set up a rabbit farm, seeing an opening in the market for rabbits for the table - it was a different world back then.”

Mr Doyle loved having a family. He was married to Anne and the pair had a son - Marcus - and two daughters – Claire and Emma.

He later spent 45 years with his life partner, Susan, who cared for him until he died.

One of his proudest achievements, other than his family, was the restaurant he built and ran with his parents and sisters.

Crabfield Farm Restaurant was set up on the hills above Ripponden. It started off small but soon grew, with multiple dining rooms serving coach-loads of diners high teas and dinner, as well as high quality disco and cabaret entertainment which attracted a host of stars.

Mr Doyle’s plant hire and motorway maintenance business – whose wagons were branded with J Doyle and Son - helped with the creation of the Ripponden section of the M62.

He also loved a Range Rover and owned one of the UK’s first liquid gas-powered cars which had been driven by Princess Anne when it was at a motor show in 1981.

"He was very well known in the town of Halifax and surrounding countryside,” said Marcus.

"He loved to help people and super proud – some say too proud – of all his achievements.

"Anyone who knew him would say ‘Jeff, we know Jeff!’ He was a funny one, but always in a kind way.”

After leaving Soyland, Mr Doyle quietly retired but continued to help people.

He was diagnosed with dementia six years ago but responded very well to medication.

He passed away peacefully on February 20 after a very short illness, with his children and Susan at his bedside at Calderdale Royal Hospital.

"He was one of the last of his kind,” said Marcus.

"He was the proudest man in Halifax. He loved Calderdale.”

Mr Doyle’s funeral will take place at Park Wood Crematorium in Elland at 3.45pm on Tuesday, March 7.