TRIBUTES have been paid to a “wonderful husband” who was killed in a horror crash. 

George Kelly, 66, was on his way to meet his wife when he collided with a silver Skoda estate car while riding his motorcycle on the A82 near Inverbeg.

The Kilbarchan dad-of-one, who was travelling to Tarbert, tragically died at the scene.

His wife, Diane, said George was the “nicest and most pleasant man you could ever meet”. 

Diane told The Gazette: “He will always be my husband George to me.

“He was so funny and had the ability to come up with one-liners like no one else. 

“He was just unique and anyone who met him fell in love with him.”

The Gazette: George was well known as a member of ThunderRoad George was well known as a member of ThunderRoad

George was an electrical engineer by trade but previously owned Benston garage in Johnstone. 

As well as being a keen motorcyclist, he had a great love for boats and kept one in Tarbert where he and Diane would often spend the day. 

Diane and George got married nine years ago in America and didn’t even tell their friends until they got back. 

Diane added: “We got married on a paddle steamer on the Colorado River in America. He arranged it all and I had no idea and that was just the kind of person he was.

“I’ll be wearing my wedding dress at his funeral because it’s not a funeral but a party in his memory.

“I was in Tarbert and he was driving up to meet me on Sunday.

“My friend said to me that he was doing what he loved, going to where he loved, to the one he loved. That was George.” 

George, who had a daughter, Mandi, was also well-known to music fans across Renfrewshire as part of the band ThunderRoad. 

Alan Cooper, a close friend for more than 20 years and a bandmate, said: “He was an incredibly talented guitarist.

“You didn’t really get a lot of information from George and it was funny because although I had known him for 20 years I was still finding out things about him.

“He was gifted with his hands and used to build guitars. He built a guitar which was a replica of one used by Albert Lee and got him to sign it when he played at the Howwood Inn. 

The Gazette: George was a talented guitarist George was a talented guitarist

“He was very keen on a Honda CVR 600 and that was sadly the one he was riding on Sunday.

“He was very mechanically minded and a real problem solver and was a really talented motorcyclist.” 

The driver of the Skoda, a 66-year-old man, was arrested and charged with road traffic offences.

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