THE REMAINS of the late Stanley Roche, the head of the Cork arm of the Roches Stores chain, will lie in repose this afternoon at the Wilton Funeral Home in Cork city prior to a private cremation ceremony.

Tributes were paid yesterday to Mr Roche (81) who died in the Bon Secours Hospital in Cork on Monday following a short illness.

Former president of Cork Chamber of Commerce Roger Flack said the passing of Mr Roche was a "big loss to the business community in Cork".

"Roches Stores is synonymous with Cork. He [Stanley Roche] built the store in Cork as a pillar of the retail community.

"He was this anomaly of shrewd and tough yet underneath that he was a family man.

"He was a quiet, gentle, unassuming man who kept his priorities with his business.

"He had a huge concern for his staff and was a quiet supporter of a number of charities."

Former employees said Mr Roche worked hard to ensure the Cork store was the best branch in the country.

He also was known for his active involvement in charity work for the senior citizens of his home town of Kinsale, Co Cork.

Mr Roche and his wife German-born Heidi Braun set up Guardwell Homes, a sheltered housing project for the elderly in the town in 1993.

Mr Roche was also a keen sailor and golfer. He is survived by his wife Heidi and the couple's children Nicholas, Peter, Morgan and Ondine.

Mr Roche became head of the Cork branch of the Roches Stores dynasty after his father William died in 1939.

The hugely successful Roches empire was founded in 1901 by Stanley's father, who had trained in Cork's most famous department store, Cash's (now Brown Thomas).

By the late twenties, the family were able to buy a key premises on Henry Street in Dublin and 10 years later added another major shop in Limerick to their operation.

In 2006, the Roche family sold the chain to the British retailer Debenhams in a multi-million euro deal.