A MEMORIAL service in honour of the man behind Amex’s move to Brighton will be held tomorrow.

Roy Amerena, who died in April aged 93, will be remembered at St Paul’s, West Street, Brighton, from 1.30pm.

Mr Amerena in his role at property company Virgo Walker helped develop 154 Edward Street into one of the then town’s first post war modern office blocks.

He helped identify American Express as possible buyers as he knew the company was looking to set up its European headquarters in the south of England.

The Amex president came from New York to meet Mr Amerena and they had lunch at English’s of Brighton in East Street. Following the meal he gave him a guided tour of the town and secured the deal.

In late 1967 everything was agreed and signed off and the following year Amex was set up in Brighton. It is now the city’s largest private employer.

Mr Amerena, who was brought up in Devonshire Street, was a son of one of Brighton’s oldest Italian families.

He was a keen sportsman and before the war was on the selection list for Sussex County Cricket Club.

However, he decided to sign up and was sent to Canada to learn to fly and train as a navigator.

He was made flight sergeant with 49 Bomber Squadron based at Fulbeck in Lincolnshire and flew in missions over Hamburg and Dortmund.

After the war he returned to Brighton and entered the building trade first with Marley Tile Co and then, in 1949, Pepper and Sons builders merchants.

He built his first homes in Polegate before accepting an offer to join Walkers of Brighton in Beaconsfield Road.

He built his family home in 1950 in Withdean and continued to build houses in the city during the 1960s. It was during this decade he joined George Virgo and Sons of Edward Street. He helped persuade the then Brighton Corporation to widen the narrow street to allow better access to East Brighton and the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

As well as building 154 Edward Street he developed more than 900,000 sq ft of office space elsewhere in Brighton, included the introduction of Lloyds International Factors in Sovereign House, Church Street.