A son has paid moving tribute to his proud father who went from “rags to riches”, but remained a down to earth family man.

Lawrence, or Larry as he is better known, Hellel passed away surrounded by family at his home in East Sheen on December 22, aged 73 after a battle against cancer.

Born into a modest family in the Lebanese village of Hassroun, he moved to London aged 21 to seek his fortune, where he met Sylvia, the woman he would spend over half a century of happy marriage.

The couple settled in East Sheen where they brought up five children– daughter Martine, quickly followed by Mark, Karyn, Chris and Dominick.

In the late 1970s he started specialist electrical store in the Upper Richmond Road, using the first letters from his and Sylvia’s names to christen the shop Lasyl.

Over the next 35 years each one of his children worked in the family business, with Chris and Dominick now running the shop full time.

Despite his deteriorating ill health he kept a promise to his youngest son Dominick that he would be at his wedding in September last year, something the 32 year old said he will be eternally grateful for.

He said: “He was a great family man. He came from rags but went to riches. Everything that I am, the way I am blunt with what I say and say what I think, comes from him.

“My work ethos and my attitude towards family all comes from him. I am proud to say that I want to follow in his footsteps.

“He had a great ability to make people laugh but he was also very well respected around East Sheen. Anyone who lives in this area knew him.

“A lot of people have come in and said how much they are going to miss him walking up and down the Upper Richmond Road.”

When he was not working hard at his business he was spending time with his eight grandchildren or with his wife and children at their holiday home in Calahonda in Spain.

Mr Hellel said: “There are no words to describe how much I am going to miss him I am just so devastated that he is gone. He meant everything to me. We will all miss him so much.”

Mr Hellel’s funeral will be held on January 2, at midday, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, in Sheen Road, Sheen.