Carpenter's son Sir Ian Dixon CBE, who has died aged 62 after a long battle against cancer, was the most prominent of the construction industry's leaders of the past decade.

Essex-born Sir Ian was a self-made man rising from trainee estimator/surveyor with builders C.S. Foster & Sons in 1956 Walthamstow to eventually become chairman of the Construction Industry Board in 1996.

He leaves a widow, Valerie, and three children, Steven, Mark and Amanda.

A private funeral service will be held for Sir Ian, who latterly lived at Haynes, Bedfordshire, followed by a memorial service later this year.

Concluding his studies at the South West Essex Technical College, Walthamstow, Sir Ian joined privately owned family business John Wilmott Holdings Ltd as general manager in 1967 and rose to become deputy chairman.

He was invited to join his name of that of the company in recognition of his contribution, and son Steven is currently a director of Willmott Dixon Ltd, whose construction projects include a £25 million Nortel flagship at Harlow.

Sir Ian was knighted for services to the constuction industry in the 1996 New Year Honour's List having already been appointed CBE in 1991 for political services.

His roots in the Conservative Party were found in the Eastern Regional local associations in which he held a number of key positions.

As president of the CIOB, he persauded the Institute to take a stand at the Conservative Party National Conference in 1989 where he convinced half the cabinet, including Mrs Thatcher, to leave their hand and footprints in wet cement - and these still adorn its Ascot headquarters.

However, it was the succession of John Major to the premiership and gave him the kind of regular access to the centre of power that construction leaders only generally dream about.

Between 1991 and 1997 he led delegations to see Mr Major and working with John Gummer, Sir George Young and Tony Baldry he set up a series of fortnightly briefing meetings between construction industry representatives and Environment ministers.

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