Gerry Johnson, who was director of second charge master broker My Sort of Loan, leaves behind a wife and two sons.
Tributes have flooded in for Gerry Johnson, who sadly passed away on Tuesday 26 February.
From 2009 Johnson (pictured) was director of second charge master broker My Sort of Loan. Previously he was with Freedom Finance as an underwriter, then relationship manager.
He joined Freedom back in 1985 and during his tenure the business grew to employ around 400 employees and won awards including Sunday Times Best Places to Work, Sunday Times Profit Track 100 and gained Investors in People recognition. Johnson leaves behind a wife and two sons, now in their 20s.
Steve Sumner, co-director at My Sort of Loan, worked with Gerry for about 20 years and is just one of many people who will miss him.
He said: “Gerry’s sudden death has been a big shock not just for me and my team, but for everyone who knew him.
“He was very fun loving and full of life, had a vast knowledge of the industry and no one ever had a bad word to say about him. He was generally liked by everyone and will be greatly missed by everyone.”
Tim Wheeldon, chief operating officer at Fluent Money, said he knew Johnson for about 20 years.
He added: “Gerry was a gentleman of the industry. There were very few people like him.
“Everyone liked Gerry. It’s rare to find an individual everyone likes and that’s probably the best way to summarise him.
“He was generally a very nice bloke and no one had anything bad to say about him which is a testament to his character. Everyone liked his company. There will be very few people that’ll be untouched by his passing.”
Steve Walker, managing director of Promise Solutions, said: “Gerry was a stalwart of the industry who had been around for years, seen it all, worn the T-shirt and generally was one of the good guys.
“I would count him as a friend and a good guy who I had a lot of respect for and got to know over 25 years. He was a nice, decent bloke who tried to run a decent business. Our group of friends will definitely meet up soon to raise a glass to him.”
Paul Carley, managing director of First Choice Finance, knew Johnson for over 25 years.
He added: “He was a great lad who no one had a bad word to say about. He will be truly missed.”
Gary Bailey, managing director of Hope Capital, said he had known Johnson since the late 90s and will truly miss him.
Bailey said: “Gerry was one of the true gentlemen in the industry and had a wealth of experience. I was very proud to have known him and worked with him over the years. I think he will be a sad loss not just to the industry, but also to me personally as a friend.”
James Briggs, specialist distribution manager at Precise Mortgages, added: “Gerry gave me my first job in secured lending back in 1999. He was a wonderful mentor and will be sadly missed by everyone in the lender and broker community.”
Terry Pritchard, chief executive officer of Charter House Corporate Partners, said: “Gerry was a genuinely good guy. It’s a loss to the industry to lose someone of Gerry’s caliber.
“I wish the best to Gerry’s family in this most difficult of times.”
Robert Sinclair, chief executive of The Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), said he knew Johnson for around 12 years.
He added: “He was in the industry for a very long time and will be missed by everybody. He was a genuine individual who loved being part of the industry.”
