Carlo Broccoli, founder of family run Britaly Travel and Typically Holidays, has died, just four weeks before his 96th birthday.
The entrepreneur set up the Britaly Travel agency with son Daniele in 1984, selling tickets to Peterborough’s Italian community and later launched trade-only operator Typically Holidays. The travel group celebrates 40 years of trading this year.
Daniele said he is ‘overwhelmed’ with the number of people who have been in contact since finding out his dad died on Sunday morning in hospital.
Local people and travel industry colleagues have been paying tribute to Carlo, who made his home in Peterborough after coming over from Cesena, Italy, in 1951 with wife Edmonda, in response to an advert calling for manual workers.
Fellow Italian, Peterborough Positive Chief Operating Officer Pep Cipriano told the local BBC News: “He was quite simply one of the nicest human beings I have ever met. He was one of the greats of the Italian community.”
After joining the workforce at London Brick Company, he opened Peterborough’s first Italian grocery store, with Edmonda later opening ‘Edmonda’s Boutique’ next door.
He became an interpreter for the police and the courts and helped set up Columbo, the city’s first Italian football team, in 1968.
He was also a member of the Peterborough Operatic Society and often performed for free at weddings in local churches. In fact, last month, Daniele enlisted Carlo’s operatic skills to help launch Typically Holidays’ new programme.
And Carlo appeared with his great-grandson, 18-month-old Archie [pictured above], when Typically Holidays posted a festive message on social media on 31 December, wishing customers a ‘Happy New Year from our eldest and youngest generation of the family business’.
Carlo remained a director in the company and Daniele said the pair spoke every week about how the business was going.
Daniele said: “Dad was fine on Thursday – in fact, he was singing. He felt ill on Friday so he went into hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and a liver infection. He died two days later.
“A week ago, we were discussing business, as we regularly did. We were talking about Peaks and he was asking what customers thought to the new brochure. I’m sad that he’s gone but I’m pleased that he’s back with my mum. They never spent more than a day apart.”
He was married to Edmonda for more than 75 years. She died two years ago, aged 91.
Carlo’s funeral will take place at 11.30am on 13 February at St Peter and All Souls Church, Peterborough, PE1 2RS.