On 17th July 2026, suddenly at his home, Robert, aged 70 years of Clayton-le-Moors. The dearly loved and loving partner of Jacqueline, loving dad of Tracey, Lee, Dawn, Chloe and Olivia, loving stepdad of Amy and Lee. Also a loving grandad and Wawa of Shaine, Connor, Owen, Poppy, Lilly, Sadie, Jayden, Lily-Mae, Lola, Betsy and Elsie and loving great grandad of Luca. A loved brother, brother in law and uncle, a great friend to many and a wonderful neighbour.
Following his school years, Robert learned plastering before joining his brothers in the building trade. He was a true grafter; the kind of man who believed that if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing properly. He took enormous pride in his work and there was rarely a journey that didn’t involve Robert pointing out a wall he had rebuilt, a roof he had repaired or a building he had helped to transformRobert loved motorbikes. They weren’t simply a hobby, they were his lifelong passion. For fifty years he made the pilgrimage to the Isle of Man TT Races. He also enjoyed going to spectate at Aintree, Houghton Tower, Leighton Hall and Oulton Park as well as other national and international events. Anyone who knew Robert will know that standing on the sidelines was never going to be enough. His caring nature and willingness to help others naturally drew him into becoming part of the events too. Around 20 years ago, he proudly became a marshal, travelling all around the country to marshal at British Superbikes, sprints and of course, the TT, where he has marshalled at The Black Dub almost every year since. Over the years, Robert became very good friends with many of the marshals he worked with and he found great purpose being part of something he loved so deeply.
Some of Robert’s happiest moments were often the simplest. He enjoyed time spent with his family and friends, whether at family occasions, in the Old England on Sunday afternoons or pottering at home. Robert and Jacqueline spent many a peaceful hour watching the birds that visited their garden, and Robert made sure there was never an empty feeder. He also enjoyed watching the bike racing, how it’s made programmes and war films on TV. Latterly, he enjoyed going to cheer Accrington Stanley on, with his friend Dave. As a dad, Robert was generous with both his time and his love, endlessly supportive, always happy to lend a hand and immensely proud of them all. Robert had a wonderful way of showing his love, not through grand gestures, but through his quiet reliability, his kindness, his constant presence and the way he just made everything feel better. As the children grew older, Robert and Jacqueline enjoyed precious time together and they enjoyed their holidays, cruising and inter-railing around Europe.
Donations in lieu of flowers are being gratefully received in memory of Robert on behalf of North West Air Ambulance.
