Pat Higgins, founder of "Pat the Baker" bakeries, in Granard, Co Longford, died on Sunday morning, aged 84.
Mr Higgins, who was originally from Kilkelly, Co Mayo, settled in Granard when he married a local woman. He was known as "Pat the Baker" in the town, and the name stuck to the bakery business he set up in 1953.
He retained a "keen interest" in the running of the business until recently and was involved in every aspect of the bakeries, from bread quality to the technological developments in the industry.
Declan Fitzgerald, general manager of Pat the Baker, said yesterday: "He would have been one of the really respected men of the county and he would have been known as very strong, but kind hearted."
Mr Fitzgerald also said Mr Higgins had made a great contribution to the economy of Longford and that he was an innovative businessman at a time when entrepreneurship was less common than it is today. "He didn't break a mould, he created a mould," said Mr Fitzgerald.
The company, which employs more than 400 people, continues to be run and owned by the Higgins family. Three of Mr Higgins's sons are involved in the company and his son and namesake, Pat, has taken on the "Pat the Baker" title.
Pat the Baker bread has received nationwide fame through the slogan "So Fresh, it's Famous", and with a series of successful and memorable advertising campaigns. An animated television advert, which was particularly associated with Mr Higgins and ran between 1980 and 2002, helped secure the popularity of the brand throughout Ireland.