ROAD builder and steam traction engine enthusiast David Loader, known widely by his middle name Roy, died at St Elmo’s Nursing Home in Ringwood on December 30.

Mr Loader was one of the last living members of family firm Mark Loader (Bournemouth) Ltd, which helped construct many roads, bridges and air fields around the Bournemouth area.

The firm was founded by Mr Loader’s grandfather Mark in 1875, and it moved to Rutland Road at Fiveways at the turn of the 20th century, where it remained until it was wound down two decades ago.

Like his two brothers Mark and Peter, Mr Loader, who was born on November 17, 1927, joined the family firm, and during the Second World War he spent his teenage years assisting his father Seth at threshing work on farms around the town.

With road building on hold during the conflict, Mr Loader also found himself manning steam rollers and laying out air strips at local RAF bases.

After the war the advent of the combine harvester brought an end to the threshing work, so the firm got back to building roads and testing newly constructed bridges, including those in Tuckton and Northbourne, with their heavy engines.

During the 1950s Mr Loader and his father began to devote time to preserving steam traction engines and rollers, during the early stages of that movement. They were among the founders of a steam rally in Cranborne during the late 1950s, and Mr Loader retained his passion for preserving and showing engines into later life.

During the 1960s he and his two brothers began to take a greater role in the running of the firm, which they managed successfully until their respective retirements, when it was wound down.

He had devoted more than 50 years to the family business and had been involved in many civil engineering projects across the town.

Mr Loader met his future wife Audrey at a dance in Bournemouth Hotel in the early 1950s, and in 1953 they were married at St Peter’s Church in Wimborne.

The pair celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September last year. Together they had three children, sons Mark and David and daughter Frances, and they had six grandchildren – James, Stephen, Anna, Alex, George and Libby.

Mr Loader’s funeral takes place today at 12pm at Bournemouth Crematorium.

In tribute, he will be carried to the crematorium by traction engine, which will set off from the family firm’s former site in Rutland Road.