PROPERTY developer and estate agent Ron Leighton will be remembered by his friends and family at a big party once the funeral is arranged, his daughter Victoria said today.

PROPERTY developer and estate agent Ron Leighton will be remembered by his friends and family at a big party once the funeral is arranged, his daughter Victoria said today.

The 68-year-old, who was proprietor of the Mills and Leighton estate agency in Ipswich during the 1980s and 1990s, died shortly after arriving in Bangkok for a holiday with his other daughter, Charlotte Leighton.

Victoria Goumas, who lives in Heath Lane in Ipswich, said she learned of her father's death in an early morning call from her sister.

She said: “He died very peacefully, in bed but has come as a huge shock and left us devastated.

“He had been ill - he had a heart attack in October and had an operation in January. But he was given the go ahead to fly by his doctor and had a letter to say that should be fine.

“He was on his way to a health resort in Thailand to help his recovery. He had already flown back to his home in Spain for a week before this trip,” Victoria added.

Mr Leighton had discussed what he wanted to happen before he died, and the family would be putting those plans into place.

“He loved parties and he wanted to go out with a big party for his family and friends so we will be trying to arrange that as soon as he is back in the country.”

Mrs Goumas said she hoped her sister and her father's body would return to Britain at the weekend.

Mr Leighton died little more than 48 hours after laughing and joking with his old friend Richard Cattermole.

Mr Cattermole said: “It was a terrible shock to hear that he had died so suddenly. We were together on Saturday laughing and joking. He wanted me to go with Thailand with him, but I had meetings that I had to go to.

“He had helped me get going in the property business in the first place and was always a very good friend. I still haven't taken in that he's died,” he added.