A former managing director of The ECHO has died suddenly at the age of 73.
Leo Coligan joined the Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO in 1973 as a personnel officer, just one week before the company moved from its original Victoria Street offices to its long-term home on Old Hall Street in Liverpool city centre.
He went on to work for the ECHO and its then-parent company Trinity Mirror for 30 years, holding a number of management positions before retiring in 2003.
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But it was his spell as managing director of the ECHO between 1992 and 1999 which gave him the greatest pride, at a time when the eyes of the world were frequently focused on Merseyside.
Under his leadership, with the company printing 300,000 newspapers a day, colour printing presses were installed at Old Hall Street.
His son Nick, 43, a former ECHO journalist, said: "He may not have been born in Liverpool, but my dad was one of the most passionate advocates for Merseyside that you could ever meet.
"Wherever he went in the world, he took such pride in telling people that he lived in the city and always spoke with such enthusiasm about how Liverpool has transformed over the past few decades.
"If you got him talking about his time at the ECHO, you realised quite how much Liverpool went through during his time with the company - both exhilarating occasions like the success of both football clubs in the 1980s and 1990s, and the challenging times the city sometimes experienced during the same period.
"Nearly 20 years after retiring the ECHO still played a big part in his life.
"Even on the morning of the day he passed away, he had downloaded his online copy of the ECHO to read in his hospital bed and was pleasantly surprised to find it was available as early as 6.30am."
Leo, who lived with his wife Christine in Crosby and then Blundellsands for nearly 50 years, was a season ticket holder at Anfield and rated two Champions League wins as the best matches he ever saw - the 4-0 defeat of Barcelona in 2020 and beating Chelsea in 2005.
He was also a keen follower of cricket and horse racing, with golf playing a big part in his life. He was a member at West Lancashire golf club in Blundellsands for more than 40 years and captained the club in 1995.
After retiring, Leo became a governor and then chairman of governors at Merchant Taylors' School in Crosby and in later years enjoyed visiting his family in Brighton and north Yorkshire.
Over the last 18 months Leo suffered increasingly poor health and died unexpectedly but peacefully at Fazakerley hospital on Wednesday, March 2.
Leo is survived by his wife Christine, children Nick and Lizzie and grandchildren Sam and Matilda.
His funeral will take place at St Michael's Church, Blundellsands, on Tuesday 15 March at 2.30pm.
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