MUCH-loved grandfather, building society manager and cyclist Michael Kelly Riding died of a heart attack on August 23, aged 68.

Michael was born in Middlesex on July 2, 1945, and he and mum Nora, dad Clifford Ivor and sister Pat moved to Dorset when he was young.

He went to local Poole schools, South Road and Herbert Carter, where he met some treasured friends, and enjoyed a loving family life at home.

He started work straight from school in accounts and finance, and continued to work his way up in various jobs to become manager and executive at Hampshire Building Society. He later went on to have his own mortgages and building society business in Broadstone.

He was a very kind man and known for finding time to help others both in his working life and home life.

He met his wife Margaret at a dance in the 1960s, where he asked her to dance and two weeks later asked her to marry him too.

They married in 1968, and would have been married for 45 years at the end of September.

They had two children Peter and Catherine, and five grandchildren, and lived near Poole Park and Sandbanks, where they made the most of their time living by the beach.

As a young boy Michael loved bikes, either riding them or mending them, and he would play football all day if he could.

These interests continued into adulthood, along with gardening and his treasured vegetable patch and roses. Upon retiring, he took up a part-time job at Asda.

He loved the music of the 60s and would happily do impressions of Elvis given the chance, and sing along to various artists of this time.

He was friendly to all he met, and loved by his family as a role model for his traditional values.

They described him as “a true gentleman, a gentle giant”, who was “taken from us too young and too soon”.