Shock at death of well-loved shopkeeper ‘Tommy Tan’
Cherished great-grandad loved to make everyone laugh, say devastated family
THE family of a sunbed shop owner have paid tribute to ‘Tommy Tan’ following his sudden death at the age of 62.
Thomas Henderson, who owned The Sunbed Shop on Union Road in Oswaldtwistle, died suddenly on Sunday, August 7 at Royal Blackburn Hospital. He was a dad-ofthree and a great-grandad.
His daughter Sarah said the family were extremely close and that they were ‘lost without him’.
She added: “Everybody knew him as Tommy Tan from the sunbed shop.
“He used to sit on the step outside his shop and people driving and walking past would greet him.
“He was loved by a lot of people and we’re expecting a big turnout at the funeral.”
Funeral director Paul Barton, whose business is near Tommy’s shop, said he will be sorely missed by many people.
He said: “He was a ray of sunshine, there were always smiles and laughter when Tommy was around and that’s what I will remember him for.
“Things just won’t be the same without him.”
TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘wonderful’ father after his sudden death, aged 62.
Popular trader Thomas Henderson - better known as Tommy - died suddenly at the Royal Blackburn Hospital on Sunday, August 7.
Tommy, from Aysgarth Drive in Accrington, worked at the Star Paper Mill for 16 years before setting up his own sunbed shop on Union Road in Oswaldtwistle, where he was known as ‘Tommy Tan’. His daughter Sarah said: “He owned the shop for 14 years. My mum is going to take it over but it will be closed until after his funeral.
“My dad was really well known from being a Blackburn Rovers fan, and everybody knew him as Tommy Tan from the sunbed shop.
“He used to sit on the step outside his shop and people driving and walking past would greet him. He was loved by a lot of people and we’re expecting a big turnout at the funeral.”
Sarah said the family do not know yet how he died.
She said: “It was very sudden and a huge shock. We’re lost without him.
“They are doing a post mortem. He had previously had problems with his chest but he had been feeling better with that. He had gone in to have a camera test done for gall stones.”
Sarah said as well as his beloved football team, he also loved his cars.
She added: “He loved Formula One, and he had an old fashioned Porsche that he had been lovingly restoring and he’d only finished it and been able to drive it about six months ago.
“He loved going on holidays abroad - it’s hard to believe that only three weeks ago he was on a cruise.”
As well as his love of cars and football, Sarah said her father’s biggest passion was his family.
She said: “He was a dedicated family man. Dad would do anything for his family. We were very close - he would have done anything for his daughters.
“Anything that he could do to make people smile and laugh.
“My fondest memory of him was he used to sing the Louis Armstrong song ‘What a Wonderful World’ to us, and he’d put on this voice.
“We’re having that song played at his funeral.”
Former Hyndburn mayor and Oswaldtwistle funeral home owner Paul Barton, who had known Tommy for many years, said life would not be the same without him.
He said: “There was always fun and laughter and that’s how I will remember Tommy. He was a real character and a devoted family man.
“If you were feeling down, Tommy would make sure you were built up. He used to come down and sit with me and we would put the world to rights.
“He always had a smile for everybody, he will be very sorely missed by many people.”
Tommy leaves his wife Linda, daughters Lucy, Sarah and Louise, sons-inlaw Alex and Scott, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
His funeral will be held on Thursday, August 18.
See page 12 for obituary.