Hibs lead tributes to Scots tycoon Sir Tom Farmer following death at 84

Tributes have been paid to Scots tycoon Sir Tom Farmer - a man deeply respected for his business acumen, philanthropy and his transformative ownership of Hibernian FC - following his death aged 84.

Sir Tom died peacefully at home in Edinburgh on Friday, with the news announced by his “deeply saddened” family on Saturday morning.

Born in Leith in 1940, Sir Tom retained a deep affection and connection with the area. He was raised as the youngest of seven children and worked from the age of 14, setting up his first tyre business in 1964 and then founding KwikFit in 1971.

It became the world's biggest independent tyre and automotive chain, which was sold to Ford for £1bn in 1999.

Sir Tom owned a majority stake in Hibernian FC for more 28 years, selling his interest in the club in 2019. By his own admission, he came to football late having worked every Saturday as a boy but then became as obsessed with the game as he was with tyres.

Yesterday, the club said it was “devastated” to learn of Sir Tom’s death.

“Thank you for everything, Tom,” a statement from the club said.

READ MORE: Sir Tom Farmer reveals his greatest moment as owner of Hibs

First Minister John Swinney said he was “deeply sadenned” by the news of Sir Tom’s death and described him as “outstanding entrepreneur and such a generous individual to so many causes in Scotland”.

Sir Tom was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy in 2006, the first Scot to be awarded the honour. He opened up the Kwik Fit centers to receive aid from the public for victims of the war in Kosovo, chaired the Scotland Against Drugs campaign and supported public access to the arts.

Through the Farmer Foundation, he supported projects from Leith to overseas to help people develop the communities around them - and themselves.

In 1966, Sir Tom married his dearly beloved wife, Anne. They met at their local church, St Mary, Star of the Sea, and were married for 57 years up until her death in 2023. They lived their whole married life in Edinburgh and had two children and four grandchildren.

In later years, when asked about the secret to his success he would often say it was because he “married a girl like Anne.”

Sir Tom lived his life through his deep Catholic faith and received the highest accolade possible from the Roman Catholic Church when Pope John Paul II made him Knight Commander with Star of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

He received the honour at St Kentigern's Church in the capital.

READ MORE: Interview: Sir Tom Farmer, Hibs’ reluctant saviour

Sir Tom met John Paul II many times, the first during the papal visit to Scotland in 1982. The businessman spent two days at the house of Cardinal Gordon Gray, where John Paul II was staying, and later recalled crossing paths with the late Holy Father several times during that time, including once in the kitchen.

The businessman collected numerous awards throughout his life, both at home and abroad. In 1993, the President of Poland awarded him The Knight Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland. Three years later, he was made Officier in de Orde van Orange-Nassau of The Netherlands by Queen Beatrix.

It was during the early 1990s that Sir Tom bought into Hibernian FC and rescued the club from oblivion.

He later said that watching Hibs with the Scottish Cup after beating Rangers 3-2 in 2016 was the greatest moment of his 28 years at the club. It was the first time the trophy had been paraded through Leith in 114 years.

He later said of his time at the club: “When people ask me what the good things have been, what I enjoyed the most, it was when a mother would stop me in the street and say, ‘Thanks very much for all you’ve done for Hibs’. When I asked why, she said, ‘Because it’s made such a difference to my children’. To have that public recognition, to play a role in keeping the club going, that gave me a lot of satisfaction.”

Sir Tom frequently spoke about the “love, car and attention” that was bestowed on him by being the youngest in such a large family.

"More than anything Sir Tom was a family man,” the family statement said.

The family added: "Leith provided a wonderfully supportive environment for him growing up as a child and he retained a lifelong affection and connection to the area.

"Along with his three sisters and three brothers, the siblings formed strong bonds from a young age that they continued to enjoy and cherish throughout their lives. Sir Tom had many nieces and nephews to whom he was proud to be an Uncle to them and their families.

“Sir Tom will be remembered by many for his deep commitment to his family, his work and his faith and for being at all times a proud Scotsman.”

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course, the family said.