The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A man who served his community as a retained fire man for over 30 years was given a special salute as a thanks for his service as part of his funeral last week.
Roy Ashton, of Holbeach, passed away aged 87 after a short illness on February 7.
The funeral procession from Holbeach Methodist Church included a stop outside the town’s fire station where the current fire crew and some of Roy’s former colleagues organised the special salute.
Roy was married to Janet for 61 years and the couple lived in Holbeach for the majority of their lives after he’d been born in Pinchbeck and brought up in Whaplode.
He very much enjoyed the outdoors particularly rambling and cycling and being a major contributor to the former Whaplode Cycling Club.
He also liked camping, a pursuit Janet did not like, so he stopped in a tent on many holidays while she stopped nearby in a hotel.
Roy also helped out volunteering at Moulton Mill until deteriorating health meant he couldn’t climb to the top any more.
As well as his wife with whom he celebrated a diamond wedding anniversary last year, he leaves two daughters, Louise and Claire.
Janet told The Voice: “He would help anybody and would always say that if a job’s worth doing it’s worth doing well.
“I feel very blessed to have had him all this time.
“We made so many lovely memories together.
“All of them are my favourite, be it just walking or rambling together.
“He would not have believed how many people were at his funeral.
“A number of people told me stories about him at the funeral that I never even knew.
“If you asked him about something he would tell you about things, but otherwise, particularly with regards what he did with the Fire and Rescue, he didn’t say what he’d been up to.
“He was obviously very well thought of.”
Roy was a retained firefighter while also working professionally as a painter and decorator and in a building business.
Former colleague at Holbeach Fire Station and personal friend to Roy, Malcolm Dyer, said: “As the quote says ‘a fireman never dies they burn forever in the hearts of the people they have served and those he loved. He will never truly leave us’.
“Roy’s passion for serving the community as a fireman was exemplary and he was so proud.
“He was committed to firefighting, instilled with great courage and was a valuable a team member of the annual drill completions.
“He played an important part as an instructor with the Holbeach Fire Cadets with his leadership skills, experience and enormous enthusiasm.
“Past and present fire officers gave Roy the send-off he duly deserved with a guard of honour at the Methodist Church in Holbeach with a salute outside the fire station.”
