Tribute to Alby Pattison - the loving family man, Hartlepool business boss and true gentleman

The 64-year-old founder of Hart Biologicals died on Sunday, October 30.

His family today told how Alby had been diagnosed with a “very rare” heart condition called Cardiac Amyloidosis, and had been due to start chemotherapy treatment soon.

Yet Alby was still watching his beloved sport of rugby just a day before he passed away.

He leaves wife Lynne, daughter Elizabeth, son James, brothers Robert and Malcolm and sisters Linda and Susan.

Alby grew Hart Biologicals from a small start-up in 2002 to an award-winning medical diagnostics company.

Among his many achievements, he was Hartlepool's Business Leader of the Year in 2016. He was awarded the MBE for his services to international trade, the economy and charity in 2018.

He was also awarded the Freedom of the Borough from Hartlepool Borough Council and won the Hartlepool Mail’s Best of Hartlepool Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Alby had been watching a Hartlepool Rovers rugby match against Old Boys at the weekend and was ‘pleased’ to see Rovers win 31-14.

But rugby union wasn’t his only sporting passion. He was a keen runner too and “kept fit preparing and taking part in half marathons”, said his relatives.

A family statement said: "He loved to be involved with rugby and cricket, science and research, including STEM programme particularly encouraging youngsters in and from school to take up the sciences.”

Alby was a keen supporter of charity, loved live music and loved to travel too.

The statement from his family said: “He was always arranging something for the betterment of others.”

They told the Hartlepool Mail that they were ‘all extremely proud’ of the man whose life has been praised so highly by the people he worked with.

Hartlepool Borough Council leader Coun Shane Moore said Alby was “an outstanding flag bearer and ambassador for Hartlepool and its people, from the instrumental role he played, as chair of the Hartlepool Town Deal Board, in securing millions of pounds of Government funding to transform our town, to his inspiring leadership in business and his massive commitment to sport, especially rugby”.

“He was someone to whom the term ‘pillar of the community’ could truly be applied – a fact acknowledged when the distinction of Honorary Freeman of the Borough was bestowed upon him by the Council in 2017.”

Alex Ebinger, current managing director at Hart Biologicals, said Alby was a down to earth person who always had time for others.

Mark Tilling, headteacher at High Tunstall College of Science, where Alby was first a pupil and later a governor, said Alby “wanted the best for everyone in the town”.

Sue Snowdon, the Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, said Alby was “a first-class ambassador” while Pam Hargreaves, the owner at Water Babies Tees Valley and co-founder of the Foundation for Women in Enterprise, said she was “proud” to have sat on the boards of numerous organisations with Alby.

"He was such an inspiration within the business community.”

Funeral details have still to be announced.