The death of Arpad Buzasi has robbed Kingston of an inspirational figure who plumbed the depths of human tragedy and the heights of endeavour and achievement.

Born in Hungary in 1909, he and his Jewish family were forced into Aushweitz concentration camp during World War Two. There, amid unimaginable suffering, he lost 53 relatives including his wife, twin daughters, four sisters and two brothers, together with his parents and grandparents.

After his release he returned to Hungary, remarried, and set about building a new life, only to see it shattered by the Hungarian Revolution.

Like many Hungarians, he was forced to flee for his life to England, where he arrived destitute at Blackbushe military airport with his wife, Ilona, and young son, George, in 1956.

There was enormous public sympathy for Hungarian refugees in Britain at that time, and the Buzasis were welcomed into the home of a Surbiton couple who became their lifelong friends.

Arpad took a job as a mechanic in Kingston, taking on as much overtime as he could get to provide for his family. Then disaster struck again when his ailing sick wife went blind.

He needed work that would enable him to earn a living in conjunction with caring for her. But how? The answer came out of the blue when Ilona was shopping for groceries and found it hard to identify items.

A fellow customer recognised her Hungarian accent, introduced herself, and changed the Buzasi fortunes. For she was the wealthy Hungarian Countess Antoinette Weinkheim, and on hearing of the family's dilemma she lent Arpad enough money to buy a Victorian house in Beaufort Road, Kingston.

Here he began a modest bed and breakfast business, doing all the cooking, cleaning and laundry.

As the business prospered, he bought adjoining properties and by the time his son George took over the reins in 1971 the Hotel Antoinette(named in honour of the Countess, and still Kingston's only central hotel) occupied four houses offering 40 ensuite bedrooms. Expansion continued until it now comprises 27 houses with 120 ensuites and 85 staff.

There was more tragedy in 1991 when George, Arpad's only child, and one of the best-liked figures in Kingston's business world, died at the early age of 42, leaving a widow, Hilary, and two young sons, Paul and Adam.

Hilary, aided by the indomitable Arpad, ran the hotel with ever-increasing success until Paul took over two years ago as managing director, joined latterly by Adam as business development manager.

But Arpad, invariably known as "Mr B" , kept a keen interest in the Antoinette to the end.

"He was so happy to see both his grandsons go into the business, and we're both motivated by his influence," said Paul. "He had real wisdom. Everyone respected him and we shall always be guided by his three precepts. One was never to ask anyone to do something you wouldn't do yourself. Another was that success is 50 per cent hard work and 50 per cent luck. The third was the advice given to him when he first arrived in the UK: shave every day, and work hard, and you'll do well in England!"

Mr B was buried last Friday in his native Moson, a small village 60 miles from the Hungarian capital, Budapest. For, having achieved business success, he helped to rebuild his stricken village setting up various charities and facilities, including a community house for young people.

He also restored Moson's desecrated cemetery, and both his family and the villagers felt this should be his last resting place.