Leslie Silver, who died on Monday aged 89, was a self-made entrepreneur who never lost sight of his solid East End working-class roots.

Leslie Howard Silverstein was born in London on January 22, 1925, the eldest of three siblings born to parents Harry and Bessie.

Leaving school aged 14 he found employment in tailoring but disliked the drudgery and monotony. To escape the Blitz his father moved the family to Leeds.

He joined Bomber Command in February 1944 as a flight engineer and flew with 138, 161, 291 and 356 Squadrons -- and at one stage was sent into Singapore's Changi Jail with supplies for prisoners. In total he flew on 60 operations in Europe and the Far East.

After leaving the RAF at the age of 22 he set up a paint company with a £250 gratuity. By the time he retired from the business in 1991, Silver Paint and Lacquer Co Ltd, later known as Kalon Group, had a turnover of £100m.
On August 25, 1946, a year after demobilisation, he married Anita Feddy, his long-time sweetheart who died in 1983.

He joined the Leeds United board in 1981 becoming chairman between 1983 and 1996 bringing in Howard Wilkinson as manager who in seven full seasons guided the club to win two championships and finished 4th once and 5th twice in the top League and won the Charity Shield. Mr Wilkinson described him as "the ideal chairman".

In 1982 Mr Silver was awarded an OBE for services to export. In the late 1980s he became chairman of the formation committee of Leeds Polytechnic.

In September 1992 he saw Leeds Polytechnic become Leeds Metropolitan University, now known as Beckett University. He became its first Chancellor on October 26, 1999.

In April 1984, he married Sheila Harris who pre-deceased him in 2013.

His philanthropy was legendary and he made major contributions to the life and culture of Leeds.
Andrew Brown, chairman of trustees at the city's care home Donisthorpe Hall said Mr Silver came from a generation that produced a handful of men and women of great foresight who understood the needs of the Jewish and wider communities.

"Donisthorpe Hall was always very close to Mr Silver's heart and he was an extremely generous benefactor. Men of his stature and generosity are few and far between. The Leeds community is poorer for his passing."
Informed once that his liberal humanism had contributed greatly to the city and that he had given a lot to Leeds, Mr Silver replied: "On the contrary, Leeds has given a lot to me."

He is survived by his children Hilary, Jane and Mark and sister Gilda.