Tributes to businessman with a passion for vehicles
Devoted father-of-three with ‘dry wit’ ran travel firm
TRIBUTES have been paid to a coach travel businessman with ‘dry wit’ who had a great passion for steam railway trains, busses and coaches.
Ronald Frankel of Greenbrook House, Whitworth, formerly of Bacup, passed away from prostate cancer on Monday, December 4 at Pendleside
Community Hospital, aged 82 years. He was diagnosed with the illness ten years ago.
The devoted father-ofthree opened his coach travel business Ronaldsway in Bacup in late 1980s/ early 90s and ran the business for a good ten years. The business provided coaches for groups who needed a means of transportation for trips. He also had his own tour programme in which he would organise the hotels, meal stops and trips out.
His wife of 56 years, Kathleen said: “He enjoyed the coach work and he had always been keen on coaches.
“The older generation in Bacup knew him well. He was a quiet man but he had dry wit.”
Ronald was born in Bury to parents Leana and Morris and moved to Stoke-on-trent as a young boy with his brother John.
He became a conductor for a local bus company before he could drive and then he became a bus driver for Potteries Motor Traction. Kathleen met Ronald at a church in Stoke on Trent where they married in 1967 and they moved to Bacup in 1975. He had two beloved cats, Snowy and Whiskey.
He worked with Yelloway Coaches and did office work with a transporting company in Manchester before opening Ronaldsway.
The beloved grandfather-of-seven was very fond of steam railway trains. He would visit Rawtenstall and Bury station frequently to see the trains. He enjoyed reading books about trains and busses and collected between 20 and 30 miniature coaches. He went on holidays with his family to Wales and The Isle of Arran in Scotland and enjoyed family meals at The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads.
The greatgrandfatherof-10 loved going to church and meeting people of similar faith. He also enjoyed Welsh choral singing and would sing in church in his youth.
Ronald will be dearly missed by his wife, Kathleen, sons Paul and his wife Sarah, Ian and his wife Becky, Alyn and his wife Collette, seven grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, brother John, brother in law Colin and his wife Gill, brother in law John, nephews, nieces and many friends.