ABOUT 150 children are in mourning after the man who was their foster father died in a car crash.

Brian Pleace loved children so much he not only had four of his own and adopted two more, but he fostered scores more.

Van driver Mr Pleace, 69, was due to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Rose, next month with a party at his local pub opposite their Shardlow home, but he died in a crash in North Yorkshire.

Mrs Pleace, 68, said: "People have been calling to the house, phoning me or coming up to me and telling me they can't think of Brian without smiling.

"They can't think of him and cry, they only think about him smiling."

Mrs Pleace said her late husband devoted his life to his family and to having fun.

She said: "We had four children of our own and adopted two daughters when they were both a few weeks old.

"On top of that we fostered around another 150 – some stayed overnight, others stayed for six months and one stayed for five years.

"Our daughters, Breeze, 16, and Daisy, 15, know they are adopted, we told them as soon as we could.

"I know there are people who adopt who don't tell their children they are adopted and that horrifies me and did Brian."

Mr and Mrs Pleace's four natural children are David, 45, an engineer, from Alvaston; Nigel, 43, a self-employed roofer, from Sawley; Maria, 40, from Derby, who works for Derbyshire Constabulary; and Robin, 38, an upholsterer, from Sawley.

They also have nine grandchildren – Rachael, 25, Lucy, 21, Charlotte, 19, Laetitia, 17, Sian, 12, Connor, 11, Caitlin, seven, Mitchell, seven, and Ellie, six.

Mrs Pleace said: "Brian's pride and joy was a 1937 Austin 10 that he saw rusting in a field and he was rebuilding.

"It's half-restored in the garage and David and Robin are going to finish it off for him."

She added: "Our son, Nigel, is reading a eulogy to Brian at his funeral and asked me if I wanted to say anything.

"I just told him to put that I think I was the luckiest woman in the world to have been married to him for 49 years. He was fantastic.

Mr Pleace, of London Road, worked as a van driver for DSM Engineering, of Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, and was on his way back to the office when the accident happened on the A1, near Knaresborough, shortly before 1pm on January 11.

Mrs Pleace said: "I knew before the police knocked at the door something had happened.

"Brian never came home late without telling me.

"I looked at the clock, it said 5.30pm so I rang Brian and his number was unobtainable.

"I was in the kitchen and said to myself 'you have gone, haven't you?'

"Daisy came running out the bedroom saying there was a police car outside and I really knew then.

"I opened the door and said (to the police) 'where is he?'

"She said 'can I come in?' and then told me there had been a collision and Brian had died."

Mr and Mrs Pleace moved here 44 years ago after his nine-year stint in the Army.

They first lived in Barton-under-Needwood and then in Cobden Street, Long Eaton, where they stayed for 30 years before moving to their present home 14 years ago.

Over the years, Mr Pleace worked as a delivery driver for Davenports Brewery in Burton, a paint sprayer for Balfour Beatty in Raynesway, a mechanic and even an ice cream driver in Shardlow.

A keen musician, Mr Pleace played many instruments, including the piano, which he taught his children to play.

Up until his death, he was still playing the clarinet in a jazz band called The Maypole, who are going to perform in his honour after the funeral.

Mrs Pleace said: "They have told me they are going to put Brian's clarinet on the stand and put it in the middle of the stage.

"That's what Brian's life was – great fun."

Mr Pleace's funeral service will take place at St Alban's Catholic Church in Roe Farm Lane, Chaddesden, on February 4 at 11am.

It will be followed by a burial at St James's Churchyard in Shardlow.

Afterwards, there will be a celebration of his life at the Coopers Arms in The Green, Weston-on-Trent.

Click here to leave a tribute to Brian Pleace