A man who grew up in Helensburgh before going on to being one of the world's best-known boardgame inventors has died.

Richard Tait passed away on July 25 near Seattle, Washington, at the age of 58, reportedly from complications of Covid-19.

The former Hermitage Primary and Academy pupil was born on January 17, 1964 in Broughty Ferry near Dundee but considered Helensburgh to be home.

His father, Tom, was chief executive of the former Polaroid factory in the Vale of Leven, and his mother Kathleen worked part-time as a secretary and receptionist at medical offices in Helensburgh.

Richard had a paper round and worked in Stewarts of Helensburgh in West Princes Street during the summer and later said thay might have been responsible for his "selling skills".

But he was interested in computers while in school and went on to Heriot Watt University. At the age of 21, he was too young to do business school in the UK, so he headed to the US and got a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business.

Apple Computers wouldn't interview Richard without a green card so Microsoft took him instead, in 1988 - when there were just 2,400 employees.

By 1994, he was employee of the year and there were 34,000 staff at the soon-to-be global giant.

He helped start various businesses within Microsoft, such as Encarta and Windows NT. Richard even recruited Satya Nadella, who would become the chief executive of Microsoft in 2014.

In 1998, he left the firm and then was inspired to create a game. Cranium was born.

Starbucks helped sell the game in shops across the US and then the games masters made similar deals with Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

It sold more than 20 million copies around the globe and was bought by Hasbro in 2008 for $77.5 million.

“I love being an entrepreneur and have done it since I was a young boy,” he told late Eye on Millig writer Donald Fullerton.

After selling Cranium, he set up BoomBoomBrands to foster creativity. It teamed up with coffee giant Starbucks.

“BoomBoom has been not only a place but also a persona for me,” he said. “We embrace the energy and disruption of break-through thinking, the courage to challenge the norms and find a different way, and to maintain a sense of collaboration and fun that is so important when as pioneers you are faced with so many setbacks, and resilience and a pioneering spirit becomes the determining factor for success.

“Hope and fun, the belief that you can do it, that BoomBoom moment — that is what we have tried to create.

“Recently I became the first Entrepreneur in Residence and first Chief BoomBoom at Starbucks, helping to accelerate innovation and support the new CEO lead with Trust Transparency and Teamwork as we pushed to a new phase in Starbucks history.”

Richard then set up a beverage firm, Golazo, served on the board of senior living firm Aegis Living, and was a member of the Michael G Foster School of Business at Washington University. Heriot-Watt gave him an honourary degree in 2013.

Vivien Dance, at Helensburgh Chamber of Commerce, remembered Richard speaking to their members a few years ago and inspiring others.

She told the Advertiser: "The Chamber of Commerce members were indeed very fortunate many years ago to welcome Richard Tait as guest speaker at the annual Chamber lunch in Cameron House.

"His talk was inspirational, with lots of tips for success in business, and we were all delighted to hear of how he had succeeded with his own ventures through the years.

"No doubt I was not the only one who ordered his board game Cranium that week as Richard had shared the story of his revolutionary game and his innovative marketing drive for its distribution with us and we were all mightily impressed with his business acumen and insight.

"I remember Richard being a truly motivational speaker and we were very appreciative of the time he spent with us during a visit to his parents in Helensburgh.

"An impressive and talented young man and I am sure many people in Helensburgh were saddened to read of his passing at such an early age and our thoughts go out to his family and friends as they come to terms with his loss."

Richard is survived by sons Finn and Deacon, and daughter Remy by ex-wife Karen Fries, sisters Louise and Gillian, and his partner and fiancée, Amy Paron and her daughter Bella.