A beloved postman who worked for Royal Mail for 24 years before his death from cancer was given a fitting send off as a fleet of red vans lined the streets of his old postal route.
Lee Woolley, 48, who was due to become a father to a baby girl this December, died of cancer on July 2.
His colleagues drove 26 mail vans along his old postal route before his funeral in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire.
The much-loved postie’s funeral was held on Thursday, and his fellow posties followed his hearse around his route in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, one final time.
His colleagues, wearing their distinctive red uniforms, lined up in formation outside the Bramcote Crematorium to form a guard of honour for Lee’s coffin.
Lee died following a three-year battle after initially being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021 before it spread to his liver.
He leaves behind his wife Venessa, 40, and their unborn baby Emma who is due in December after being conceived through IVF.
Dozens of friends and colleagues have posted tributes to Lee online, describing him as a ‘hero’ and an ‘inspiration’.
Lee’s sister Sarah Leanne Hearson, 44, said he would have been ‘gobsmacked’ at the turn out and said it was like ‘royalty’.
She said: ‘It was incredible, I haven’t seen anything like it. I arrived at my brother’s house and his colleagues were at the front of his house.
‘It was just a line of red all up the street, I couldn’t believe it. I knew there were going to be quite a few there as he was a very well liked person and well respected.
‘Even though I was there, I watched the drone footage back and it was just as amazing.
‘Lee was a very humble person, he would’ve been gobsmacked. It did bring me some comfort.
‘Lee was working up until a month before he died. He loved his job. For years he did the postman job, he started doing rounds again shortly before he passed.’
Lee’s wife Vanessa paid tribute to her late husband, saying: ‘He was a loving and attentive husband who would do anything for you.
‘Lee had a beautiful, kind and generous nature. We met on August Bank Holiday Sunday 2007 and our love blossomed from there.
‘We spent 17 years together and now have a baby Emily on the way, due in December.
‘Lee had an amazing amount of strength battling cancer for the last three years also supporting us on our IVF journey, he is my true hero.
‘Lee had an incredible sense of humor and wit and loved nothing more than to laugh and make people laugh.’
Workers gave up any overtime pay and worked their free time to attend the funeral.
Ilkeston delivery officer manager Lisa Pynegar, who arranged the special tribute, said: ‘Lee was such a loved guy and we wanted to show our respects in the biggest way we could.’