Massive crowds gathered at Edinburgh’s Easter Road stadium to pay their respect to business tycoon Sir Tom Farmer.
Before 12.45pm on May 28, dozens of Hibernian FC fans were in attendance to say their goodbyes following his private funeral.
Sir Tom passed away at the age of 84 on May 9 with his family describing him as ‘a proud Scotsman’. Born in Leith in July 1940, he founded the Kwik Fit chain of garages back in 1971.
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The icon also owned a majority stake in Hibs for 28 years, selling his interest in 2019 to US businessman Ron Gordon, and was credited by current head coach David Gray as having “saved the club at a time of need”.
His hearse was driven past Hibernian FC’s Stadium and it’s understood a memorial service will be held for Sir Tom later in the year to commemorate his contribution to civic and public life throughout the country and beyond. Details are yet to be confirmed.
Sir Tom, a former director of MyTravel Group and ScottishPower, was hailed by Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney as a “generous individual to so many causes in Scotland”.
According to the Sunday Times Rich List from 2020, he was worth an estimated £126million. He grew Kwik Fit to become an international chain before selling it to Ford for £1 billion in 1999.
A statement from his family reads: “Sir Tom’s long and extensive career touched many aspects of Scottish and UK life. His business career is well documented, as was his commitment to philanthropy, his many public roles and his unwavering support and appreciation for the communities and people that he lived his life within.
“More than anything Sir Tom was a family man. Born in Leith, Edinburgh, in 1940 he was the youngest of seven children. He frequently spoke of the love, care and attention that was bestowed upon him by being the youngest in such a large family.
“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. In 1966 Sir Tom married his dearly beloved wife, Anne.
Mourners lined up outside the stadium.
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“They met at their local church, St Mary, Star of the Sea, and were married for 57 years up until her death in 2023. In later years, when asked about the secret to his success he would often say it was because he ‘married a girl like Anne’.
“They lived their whole married life in Edinburgh and are survived by their two children and four grandchildren. Sir Tom’s Roman Catholic faith was present throughout all areas of his life.
“He attended mass weekly in Edinburgh and enjoyed the friendship and company of many people with the Catholic community both here in Scotland and further afield. 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.”
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Hibs previously paid tribute in a post on X, saying: “Hibernian FC are devastated to hear of the passing of former owner Sir Tom Farmer, aged 84.
“Thank you for everything, Tom. Rest in peace.”