Pakenham Village Tributes : Richard Hawes

Richard Hawes Known to all as Dick.

Dick was to those who knew him well a jocular man with a deep love for the village he lived in. A man with always a funny story to tell often on the risque side or sometimes a little more than risque.

Dick was born in the house he lived and died in, Number 3 the Council Houses, Fen Road, a house that he was very proud of and was always very grateful to those who helped him.

Dick, the youngest of a large family in his early years attended school at Ixworth and later went to work at Pakenham Watermill. By the time he was 18 he left his job and became the carer for his parents and Gladys his invalided sister and his life changed enormously. The highlight of his week at that time would have been his weekly trip to Pakenham Post Office and the Mace Stores where his humour would keep all in either place regaled in laughter. Dick, despite his growing weight could still at that time whizz along on his trusty bicycle at break-neck speed.

Dick was an avid fan of Radio Suffolk and often told one of his jokes on one of the programmes providing that they were reasonably clean.

In the last dozen years of his life when he became disabled and unable to get to the local shops etc. and he was helped very much by one particular person, Jim Millar himself a Christian man who supported Dick wholeheartedly and in many ways prolonged Dick's life. Jim by his actions and his ability to care deserves great praise for all that he did for Dick.

Dick loved his home and when, after spending five weeks in West Suffolk Hospital and being told that if he did not have his infected leg partially amputated he would die, he decided that if he was to die it would be in his beloved home Number 3 Fen Road where he had lived his whole life and at last he would embrace again his dear family.

PV&CN - June 2017