Bus driver Ray’s guard of honour on his final journey
A GUARD of honour will bring all buses in Grimsby to a standstill tomorrow morning in memory of one of the longest-serving drivers. Ray Shadlock was a driver and supervisor for more than 45 years.
Tragically he died suddenly on December 27 and in his honour a cortege will carry him on a final journey through Grimsby town centre and the town’s bus depot.
Fellow Stagecoach staff will line the street around Victoria Street Depot and at Grimsby Crematorium.
Stagecoach will put his name on the front of buses as a mark of respect and have a bus at Grimsby Crematorium ahead of a funeral service at 9am.
The cortege, led by Embersons funeral director, Brian Crainie on foot will pass along George Street and into Victoria Street at 8.30am. All buses will stop so drivers can disembark from their cabs to bow in silence to honour their much-loved colleague. His coffin will be carried into the depot for many more of his depot colleagues to say farewell. Ray first started on the buses 45 years ago when it was Grimsby and Cleethorpes Transport.
Many people continued to approach Ray and remind him he used to drive them to school when they were growing up. He retired in 2019 but complained of being bored so returned to run the firm’s phone and ride service a few weeks later. Due to the coronavirus restrictions he finally retired last summer. Daughter Amanda Wells said: “He loved his job. He was such a well-liked person and loved his family and his gardening.
“He was fun loving always and devoted to his family and always a positive person. “He will be remembered as a muchloved husband, dad and grandfather. He was a season ticket holder at Grimsby Town and loved his football.”
Operations manager for Stagecoach, Helen Smith, said: “We are all still utterly devastated. He worked so hard over many years.
“We wanted to have the opportunity for colleagues to say a goodbye and there will be a number of former colleagues lining up at the crematorium. If it had not been for the restrictions the service would have been packed out and many more outside.”
She added: “You will never find anyone with a bad word about Ray. He was a good, fun-loving person. He was popular as a supervisor and even though he retired he was still part of the family.”
The operations manager said passengers will have to be patient at 8.30am tomorrow (Friday) when all the buses are halted as a mark of respect.