Stuart Goodridge the, Founder and Chairman of Goodridge, died peacefully at home on January 13th 2011 after a long illness.
Stuart was born and went to school in Southport, Lancashire where he gained his private pilot’s licence at the age of 17, flying off Southport beach. After school he went to live in Canada where he worked initially as a lumberjack and then as a highways surveyor for the government in Victoria, B.C. In Victoria he started his motor racing career in Formula Ford and sports cars with the Victoria Motor Club. Having achieved significant racing success he formed with two friends his own racing team, DGR Racing.
It was while still racing that Stuart started making his own high performance brake lines, eventually supplying brake lines and racing parts to other race teams. At the age of 23 he decided to come back to the UK to start his own company, moving to Totnes where his mother lived. He borrowed £50 from his brother to buy an off-the shelf company and set up business on his mother’s kitchen table, making brake lines as the orders came in from small ads placed in the motoring press.
Over the years the kitchen table enterprise turned into a global brand with factories in the UK, US, Mexico, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands and is now recognised as the world’s leading supplier of high performance fluid transfer systems. While Stuart always cherished the memories of driving around Europe with his racing samples in the back of the car, he was farsighted enough to drive the business into the retail sector and into direct supply to manufacturers. He took immense pride in the development of his business and the achievements of his colleagues.
Stuart remained a keen and talented pilot with both personal and commercial licences. His experience ranged from aerobatics in his own Yak 52 to ferry piloting a re-engined aircraft from Texas to Exeter. He combined aviation with a later love of sailing, always maintaining that the principles were the same, it was just the speed that differed. He skippered his pride and joy Moody 36 yacht around England and France with family and friends over many years. He also much enjoyed skiing, scuba diving and walking on Dartmoor.
Stuart took enormous pleasure in family life with Trudi and his girls, involving them in his adventures from the earliest age. His love of food and fine wine made him a most sociable host to friends and acquaintances from all walks of life. He loved travelling and exploring new countries and cultures. Stuart was a man of great vitality and enthusiasm, always learning, always bursting with a huge zest for life.
Stuart is survived by his beloved wife Trudi and children Daniel, Benjamin, Liberty and Charlotte.
