Tributes to husband, 40, found dead

A DEVOTED husband found dead in a toilet block was remembered as a ''real gentleman'' and a keen Chelsea fan.

Tributes were paid by family and friends to Nicholas Crowley, 40, of Warwick Avenue, Woodbridge, who was found dead just after midnight on Thursday in Old Foundry Road, Ipswich.

He had been living with his wife Suzanne in Warwick Avenue for three years and they had celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary two weeks ago.

Mrs Crowley said: "He was a loving husband of 15 years and a builder by trade. He was a devoted Chelsea fan since childhood who loved the sea and the coast. He will be sadly missed by family and friends."

His mother and stepfather drove up from their Southampton home yesterday morningand they said the news of his death had come as a "bolt out of the blue".

His mother, who declined to be named, said: "He was lovely. He treated everybody the same. There were no classes as far as he was concerned.

"Everybody was as good as anyone else and everyone loved him.

"His death was a complete shock for us. He was with us just a few weeks ago to lay a patio for us. All the time he was down here he was going out with his old friends, he was so popular."

Next-door neighbour Doris Gilbert, 81, said: "It is all a bit of a shock. He was a real gentleman and he loved football. I am an Arsenal fan, he was Chelsea, and we used to have a go at each other about it."

A friend, who declined to be named, said: "He was a thoroughly nice bloke and a loving husband."

Mr Crowley, born in Weymouth, had a brother, Paul, 39, and a sister, Gemma, 34. He had no children and his main trade was as a bricklayer.

He had worked on the construction of Norwich's Castle Mall shopping centre. Mr Crowley had been off work for several months while he received treatment for an illness.

A post mortem examination was due to be held yesterday and an inquest will be held at a later date.