RoyNEWSHAMBorn in July 1945, died peacefully at home on April 15, accompanied and nursed to his end by his
long-term partner, Sheila Proctor. Having lost his daughter Lindsey to leukaemia in 1986, he is survived by his sons, Gary and Lee, and his daughter Amanda, from his earlier marriage, and their families. He leaves behind his partner’s sons, Carl, Michael, and Andrew, and their families. He also leaves behind his sisters, Gail and Adele, his brother Mark, their families, and his cousin Derek, who was a second brother to him. A popular man, Roy made a career for himself as arguably Accrington town centre’s premier window cleaner. For fifty years, he was a well-known man about town, on nodding acquaintance with many a passer-by, greeting all with his ready smile and huge heart. Roy had a particular fondness for many of the town’s café establishments, often more likely to be found frequenting such places, rather than on his window cleaning rounds; several of these cafés still rue the day he retired, their sales affected so! When not working, he was an active and social man, winning the CIU individual knockout as a snooker player at the then-named Poplar Working Men’s Club, one of many highlights amongst his 60 years of club membership. He was a one-time boxer, a keen cricketer (bowler) in his youth, snooker and pool player, and a crown green bowler in his later years, sharing his latter passion between Burnley Road and Globe Bowling clubs. When not playing sports, Roy would often be found at Accrington Stanley, supporting his local team as he had throughout his life, never prouder than when they were promoted into the football league ‘proper’, as he called it. A keen outdoor man, Roy would often wake up and, even if the weather was only halfway nice, he and Sheila would be out and about. Blackpool was a firm favourite, alongside Keswick and the Yorkshire Dales. Mini breaks at these places broke up the year in between his longer overseas holidays to Greek and Spanish islands. Unfortunately, age brought with it cancer, and Roy recently reflected on his pride of battling it successfully for five long years, never once losing the smile for which he was renowned, despite the ordeal of umpteen operations and treatments, even up to those final moments. The families offer their utmost respect and thanks to district nurses and doctors who treated him during this time. Roy’s funeral service will be on Friday, April 26 at Accrington Crematorium at 1.40pm, where friends and acquaintances are welcome to commemorate and celebrate Roy’s life alongside his families, as they pay their final respects. Please, flowers only from family, with donations welcome towards his favourite charity, Cancer Research, c/o Hyndburn Funeral Services.
Notify me with new activity on this notice
