We are sorry to report the death of Howard Quirk, part of a well-known dynasty of estate agents. He was the son of an estate agent, as were his brothers, and his son and nephews are also estate agents.

His death at the age of 71, over the Christmas break, produced a heart-felt tribute on social media: “Forty six years ago I was buying my first house and my deposit was in the post office savings and my book was held up in the postal strike. So your dad lent me the deposit.”

The family had no idea that this had ever happened until reading the online tribute.

Howard Quirk was senior partner along with two brothers in the family’s estate agency business, Quirk and Parkers, during the sixties, seventies and eighties. The business had been founded by Howard’s father Albert in the fifties and grew to be a significant entity with branches in Billericay, Chelmsford, Canvey Island, Wickford, Loughton, Rayleigh, Grays, Benfleet, and Basildon.

In 1999, he co-founded Quirk Deakin, along with his son Russell and nephew Anthony Quirk. Within ten years that business had grown to five branches, all in Essex.

Today, Russell Quirk runs eMoov, while one cousin, Simon Quirk, runs Quirks in Billericay and Wickford, and Anthony Quirk, runs Anthony Quirk & Co at Canvey Island.

Russell Quirk said in tribute: “The Quirks are a family business dynasty indeed and my generation of the family owe my father and our grandfather a huge debt in so far as our entrepreneurial education. Indeed you could say that the young Quirks had little choice but to be indoctrinated into the estate agency profession.

“Additionally, countless current Essex estate agency businesses exist because their founders began their careers with Quirk and Partners with Howard and his father and brothers, Roger and Douglas, at the helm.

“Church and Hawes, John Cottis & Co, Chesters, Brown and Brand, Chandler Martin –  they are all companies that exist today and that can cite Howard Quirk as part of their original DNA.

“Independent businesses employ the majority of the UK’s workforce and if it were not for pioneers and businessmen like my father, taking risks and implementing great ideas as they do, then our country would literally be a much poorer place. Arguably, if it were not for him there would be fewer estate agents in the UK however!

“Howard was a true gentleman and big of heart.”

Howard, who lived in Billericay most of his life, was a Basildon councillor  in the seventies. His father was also a Basildon councillor in the fifties, and Russell Quirk became a Brentwood councillor.

Howard is survived by wife Linda, Russell, daughter Joanne and other sons Ross and Bradley, who run a luxury car dealership, Quirks Car Company, co-founded by Howard 15 years ago.