‘He’s behind you’ - Mourners pay their respects to a much-loved South Shields pantomime star
Mourners have gathered for the funeral of a South Shields panto legend.
The funeral of a much-loved South Shields pantomime dame has taken place in South Shields.
Mourners gathered on Thursday afternoon (June 4) at the All Saints Church, on Boldon Lane, before heading to South Shields Crematorium, on John Reid Road.
Bob, who was known to many for his role as Dame Dotty in The Customs House’s pantomime, sadly passed away on Thursday, May 14, aged 80.
‘He’s behind you’
His passing prompted many on social media to recount their memories of his performances, with Customs House legend Ray Spencer MBE among them.
At the request of Bob’s family, mourners wore brightly coloured clothing to ensure that they could reflect on the “vibrant and fun person” that Bob was.
Rather than a day of sadness, those closest to Bob wanted to host a day of celebration and a fitting tribute to his pantomime career came in the form of “he’s behind you” on the side of the hearse as it arrived at the church.
During the service, Bob’s daughters Tracey Smith and Vicki Oxenham, along with his stepson Wess, spoke of a life of “love and laughter”, paid tribute to him through poetry and highlighted his love for Sunderland AFC.
A loving tribute
Tracey, 60, and Vicki, 55, have previously shared with the Shields Gazette how much they loved seeing their dad performing on stage, explaining that it was his favourite thing to do bar spending time with his family.
They said: “We loved seeing him on stage and we went to the pantomime every year - we got to do things like go into the dressing room and when they picked sides of the theatre to cheer, we were always on dad’s side.
“Dad would also say our names when he mentioned that we were in the audience and we both loved that - it was lush.
“Then seeing him in the Laffalang Gang doing adult comedy was just as equally amazing, especially as he was raising money for charity while doing it.
“Other than spending time with his family, being on stage was the one thing he adored most.
“We think he knew when it was time to retire but if he was the ‘Peter Pan’ that he thought he was, we know that he would have continued to do it forever.”