The headquarters of the business moved from Carlisle to Mill Hill in 1926, and Laing was educated at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate.
[3] His wife's poor health due to tuberculosis delayed his training, but he qualified as a pilot in South Africa, and flew the second British glider across the Rhine.
Having climbed up the management structure of the firm, Maurice took the #2 position in 1966, supporting his brother Kirby as chairman.
[9][10] He was also a governor of the Administrative Staff College and of the National Institute of Social and Economic Research, and president of the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors.
Because of this love of sailing and yachting, Maurice Laing donated a sum of money to the Ocean Youth Club (later the Ocean Youth Trust) in 1990 to build a boat to help educate young people and disabled members of society in the fine art of yacht sailing.
He was survived by his wife and their son, John, who runs the Rufford Foundation, a private grant-making organisation.