A “passionate and lifelong advocate of the housebuilding sector” had died aged 79.

Tributes have been paid to the former long-serving boss of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), Roger Humber, who died suddenly last month.

Mr Humber, of Norwich, headed up the HBF between 1979 and 1999 having initially joined the organisation in the mid-1970s as a planning officer.

He later joined the board of Circle Anglia, a precursor to Clarion, now one of the UK’s largest housing associations.

Born in 1943 in Watford, Hertfordshire, Mr Humber was the oldest of William and Mona Humber’s two children.

He married Vivien in 1989 and together they had two children, Katherine and William. Later he would become a grandfather to Bertie.

Throughout his career, Mr Humber wrote and lectured extensively. He appeared on both local and national television and radio, often on Look East with Stewart White.

Paying tribute, Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “Roger was a nationally recognised authority on housing and a leading figure in the industry since the late 1960s.

“When he joined the NFB to create the HBA, he was already the most quoted housing spokesperson in the national media and was never short of offering his opinion on how planning and housing could and should be improved.

“He will be a huge loss.”

The NFB’s current head of housing and planning, Rico Wojtulewicz, added: “When I joined the NFB, Roger asked me to come to his home in Norwich.

“After a three-hour conversation, his final words of ‘make the job your own’ shaped how I decided to represent my members and the sector.

“Roger was a true gent, showing the conviction and integrity we can all learn from.”

In 1994, Nottingham Trent University made him an honorary doctor of technology for his work in establishing a housebuilding degree course.

His other achievements – to name just a handful – include being chair of the Building Research Establishment’s construction certification expert group, negotiating the merger of Anglia Housing Group with Circle 33 to form Circle Anglia, and working as a business stakeholder member of the East of England Regional Assembly.

Stewart Baseley, chair of the HBF, added: “Roger was an industry stalwart who did a huge amount to shape and position our industry.”

Outside of his career, he was widely read and was particularly fascinated by history and politics. Jazz was one also of his greatest passions.

Mr Humber died on September 12.