'He was a true gentleman': Tributes paid to Cannock great-grandfather who met Princess Diana
Tributes have been paid to a great-grandfather who met Princess Diana after the firm he worked for gifted her a kitchen for her wedding.
Peter Garnett worked at Landywood Cabinets in Great Wyrley for 40 years.
Mr Garnett was also a member of the Round Table, the Probus Club and was a church minister at St Mary's Church.
He died on January 15 at St Giles Hospice at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer, and his funeral will be held at St Mary's Church at 11am on February 7, followed by a family burial and then a wake at St Mary's Community Centre.
Mr Garnett was born in Lincoln in 1938 and moved to Stafford at the age of 10.
He worked at Lotus Shoes as an apprentice shoe maker before he completed National Service in the RAF for two years.
After he finished National Service he moved back to Stafford where he met his wife Carol and they married in 1961.
The couple went on to have son Mark in 1962 and daughter Julie in 1964.
Mr Garnett then went to work for his wife's family's business Landywood Cabinets, where he went from a machinist, to driver, then worked his way up to sales director where he and his team were in charge of 300 people.
Mr Garnett's daughter, Julie Cassidy, said: "The company gave Princess Diana and Prince Charles a kitchen as their wedding present for Highgrove House which my dad visited.
"Princess Diana visited the facility in 1985. The whole of Great Wyrley closed down for her to come. She visited and had lunch."
In 1970 the family moved to Cannock where Mr Garnett joined the Round Table, then the 41 Club and the Probus Club.
He was also a regular at St Mary's Church where he was also a church minister.
Julie added: "He was a lovely man and very popular. He always wanted to help others.
"He was a proper family man and loved being with his family, the kids and the animals.
"He was a true gentleman, he worked hard all of his life.
"The week before he died he went into St Giles Hospice and they were amazing. He passed away peacefully."
Donations will be given to St Giles Hospice in Lichfield and it will be family flowers only.
