Alan Muir died on Sunday 25 January 2004, age 49, from smoke asphyxiation after a chip pan fire in the flat where he was staying in Southgate.

He was the on-call builder for the Stuckism Centre in London and had turned his hand to most things there, 'tanking' the cellar, fixing leaks in the roof, painting the stairs, pointing brickwork, changing locks and, on one occasion, even chasing an intruder from the premises.

He was a familiar and friendly figure to many of the artists and visitors to the gallery.