Tributes to retail boss and shopping mall pioneer

Donald Dixon employed hundreds of people over his 70-year career

The owner of what is believed to be the country's first independent out-of-town shopping centre has died aged 89.

Donald Dixon went on to open the iconic Dixons Department Store in Whitehaven and Dunmail Park in Workington, Cumbria.

The businessman, who died in hospital last week, was well-known across the area, where he employed hundreds of people throughout his career spanning 70 years.

His son, Bill, said: "His natural habitat [was to be] surrounded by work or, more rarely, on holiday without any - there wasn't anything in between."

Mr Dixon was also a well-respected Rotarian, and the family's business currently employs 80 people.

His grandfather, Joseph, opened a furniture business in Whitehaven in 1882, which he took over from his father and expanded from three to seven stores between 1955 and 1979.

During that time the business moved from cabinet making to retail, with shops from Kendal to Carlisle and Workington.

Then came Dixons Department Store in Whitehaven, opening in 1980 - a result of the acquisition and merger of the eight shops next to the family's store at 7 Lowther Street, which had been in the business since 1885.

Dixons Department Store opened in Whitehaven in 1980

According to his son, it was thanks to his perseverance the project came to fruition, which required permission from more than a dozen different bodies.

"Naturally this was a very risky endeavour requiring considerable debt," Bill said.

"His father was extremely uncomfortable with high debt but Donald persuaded him."

Their presence on the street went from a 2,000 sq ft (186 sq m) shop to a 75,000 sq ft (7,000 sq m) department store.

In 1988, Mr Dixon opened Dunmail Park, named after the last king of Cumberland, on the site of the former Cumberland Cloth Company in Maryport Road.

It expanded in 2001 with more shops and a cinema.

Dunmail Park was named after Cumberland's last king

"Dunmail Park was initially the first independent out-of-town department store in the country before it became a mini-mall and eventually a local landmark," Bill said.

"Donald put into it what was missing locally: Cumbria’s first multiplex cinema, a really big supermarket and a great furniture store."

Mr Dixon also had a stint as a local newspaper editor.

"He had diversified and after buying the Carlisle Journal and eventually two other papers, mum was frustrated when he got up very early to drive to Carlisle to edit and supervise printing," Bill said.

Mr Dixon was married to Elizabeth for over 50 years

He sold the publications to the former Cumbrian Newspapers group, which were also the publishers of The Cumberland News and The Whitehaven News.

Bill said his father had a work ethic that would seem "absurd to many", but he also enjoyed travelling, particularly to Switzerland and China - a place loved by his late wife Elizabeth.

Mr Dixon leaves his son Bill, daughter Marie and grandchildren Ben, Lois, Frances, Magnus, William and Charlotte.

The funeral is to be held on Tuesday at 13:30 BST at St James Church, Whitehaven.