A TRADITIONAL horse-drawn funeral cortge helped to pay respect to a well-loved Pershore family man.
Father-of-seven Ray Fletcher, from Cherry Orchard, Pershore, died at the age of 69, following a heart attack on Good Friday.
The retired care-assistant, married to his wife Pamela for 48 years, was taken to Pershore Abbey yesterday on what would have been his 70th birthday.
His eldest son, Ray, said the horse-drawn carriage was a birthday gift and fitting way to celebrate his life.
"He was very much a man who liked tradition so he would have found this occasion very special," he said.
"We had been planning a birthday celebration. His death was a shock, but everyone invited to his party was also invited to come to pay their respects at the funeral."
Abide With Me and All Things Bright and Beautiful were just some of the hymns at Pershore Abbey
Donations were given to the County Air Ambulance.
Mr Fletcher said his father would be sadly missed by friends and family, including his 20 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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