A man who died in a tragic house fire near Maitland this week has been described as "a lovely guy" who liked to have a friendly drink with his colleagues after work.
Stephen Wilson, 46, died in a blaze at a home in Peppertree Circuit at Aberglasslyn on Tuesday night.
His wife and teenage son managed to escape the inferno.
Mr Wilson became the franchisee of the Maitland Harvey Norman store's bedding arm about a year ago.
One of his colleagues Nick Swanson - who is the franchisee for the store's electrical department - described Mr Wilson as a hard worker and "a real Aussie".
Mr Swanson said Mr Wilson would often have a friendly drink with his workmates at the end of the day.
"The whole place is in a bit of shock," he said.
"He was a lovely guy.
"You couldn't fault him. I saw him the day before [the fire] and he was in good spirits. It's hard to believe he was not there the next day."
Police declined to comment on Mr Wilson's death on Thursday.
- Lifeline: 13 11 14.
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