Brian Pleace, foster father of around 150 children in Derbyshire, died in a car crash on 11 January, 2009, aged 69.

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 was due to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Rose, in February 2010 with a party at his local pub opposite their Shardlow home, but he died in a crash in North Yorkshire.

Mrs Pleace 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 and Daisy 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 an engineer, from Alvaston; Nigel a self-employed roofer, from Sawley; Maria from Derby, who works for Derbyshire Constabulary; and Robin an upholsterer, from Sawley.

They also have nine grandchildren – Rachael, Lucy, Charlotte, Laetitia, Sian, Connor, Caitlin, Mitchell and Ellie.

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.

Mr and Mrs Pleace moved to Derby in 1966 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 in 1996.

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 were 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."

http://www.thisisderbyshire. co.uk/news/DAD-fostered-150- kids-killed-crash/article- 1729306-detail/article.html [thisisderbyshire.co.uk]