A family have paid tribute to a devoted husband and father killed in a car crash last week.

Dave ‘Trigger’ Rees, 52, died when his red Audi A4 smashed into a pillar near a bridge along the Ashford-bound A2070 on Thursday, May 30.

He leaves behind wife Tracy and children Dave, 18, and Jordan, 15.

Mrs Rees, of Park Farm, Ashford, said: “Dave was a father to two lovely boys. He couldn’t have done anything more for them. He always made sure they had whatever they needed or wanted.

“Our family meant the world to him. He loved spending time at home with us. I think it was because he enjoyed my homemade cooking so much that he didn’t want to go out.

“If we did go out, we liked to go to the Harvester for family meals, because the boys liked it there.

“We loved going on family holidays together, especially to all-inclusive hotels, and we had visited Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia.

“Dave would like to sit by the pool and relax. We often went back to the same place a few times if we knew it was nice.”

Mr Rees was known among his friends as Trigger, after the character in TV show Only Fools and Horses, who would famously refer to Rodney Trotter as Dave, even though everyone else in the show called him Rodney.

Mrs Rees said: “He would respond to Trigger more than he would to Dave. He was quite proud of his nickname and even had a T-shirt with it on.”

Tracy and Dave, who had been married for 20 years, met through mutual friends.

Their wedding was held at St Mary the Virgin Church in Willesborough, the same church where their two sons were christened.

Mr Rees was born in Folkestone, but lived in Ashford for most of his life. He worked as a branch manager at Charles Wilson Engineers, in Wotton Road, for the last 16 years.

Mrs Rees said: “He adored his work. It was a big part of his life.

“He had been in the engineering industry all his life, working his way up from the yard to working the machines, to manager. He was very hard working and very well respected.
“In fact, our son Dave started working for Charles Wilson Engineers three weeks ago.”

Mr Rees attended the Brockhill Park school, now Brockhill Park Performing Arts College, in Saltwood, Hythe, where his youngest son, Jordan, is currently a pupil. During his time at the school, Mr Rees ran for the school’s cross-country team.

He was a very keen sportsman and enjoyed driving his red Audi A4.

“Our family meant the world to him. He loved spending time at home with us. I think it was because he enjoyed my homemade cooking so much that he didn’t want to go out" - Tracy Rees

Mrs Rees said: “He was a very cautious and careful driver.

“When it snowed, he took Dave [his son] out in the car so that he would be prepared.

“He also loved the colour red and particularly loved red cars. He enjoyed fishing and golf, and when the children were younger he was a referee for the Park Farm Rangers Football Club’s youth team.”

Dave Rees, the eldest of Mr Rees’ two children, said: “I was very close with my dad and I will miss him.

“He would take us fishing and to football and to golf. I grew out of fishing but Jordan would sometimes go with him.”

Mrs Rees added: “The past few days have been horrendous, it has felt like weeks. I am just taking each day as it comes.”

Plans for Mr Rees’ funeral still need to be arranged but it is hoped that he will be buried in Ashford.