LARGER-than-life businessman Mike Lee who was ‘Barnsley through and through’ has died.

The 74-year-old was a well-known businessman, running Mike Lee Travel and was also a member of the Roundtable and a Freemason.

His wife, Liz, said he was a ‘larger than life character’.

She added: “He worked for Thomas Cook and then went onto work for Kennedy Travel.

“He set up his own business in 1984, the day after the miners went on strike - obviously a good time to set up a business.

“He was in business until the late 90s and then he basically lost everything.

“His marriage fell apart and he was literally, as he put it, left with the clothes he was stood up in.

“I think he was out of work for probably a year and then he joined the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group in Wakefield as the reader holiday manager.

“That’s how we met because I worked at the Wakefield Express.

“He was a character - there’s no other way of describing him.

“He was full of life and had the longest string of one-liners you’ve ever heard.

“He could walk into a room and literally light it up.

“He was a big guy so his physical presence was enough but he was just such a character.”

Liz and Mike were together for almost 21 years and married for 14 of those.

He was ill for the latter stages of his life but he never let it get him down before he died on April 29.

“He became ill two-and-a-half years ago and it was horrendous for him,” she added.

“But one of his friends said to me that a lesser man wouldn’t have coped with it.

“He was always a positive person.

“He absolutely loved his travel - he must have been around the world twice.

“We could go virtually anywhere in the world and somebody would know him.

“We once went on a trip to America and we came down for breakfast one morning and across the dining room I could hear someone shout ‘Bloody hell, Mike Lee as I live and breathe’.

“It even happened in Bangkok.

“He was a larger than life character and a lot of people will remember him.”

Mike leaves behind two children - Olivia and Jordan - as well as four grandchildren.

His other son, James, died around two-and-a-half years ago.

His funeral will be held at Barnsley Crematorium on May 29.