Taxi drivers are a close-knit community in which members always have each other’s backs. But they are also a huge part of the communities they serve, often for decades, taking people everywhere from the shops and pub to train stations and airports.
Sadly, two taxi communities have recently been mourning the loss of big characters, following the deaths of long-serving taxi drivers.
Familiar face
Colleagues, passengers and businesspeople in Teesside joined the family of David Drury to say goodbye to the popular cabbie.
David, known to friends as “Davey”, worked as a taxi driver for 35 years in Teesside. He worked for Kwik Cars and was a familiar face among locals.
David was 64 when he died, following a battle with cancer. His friend and colleague Jimmy Stubbs told Teesside Live that David was a “really great” man, and that the drivers at Kwik Cars wanted to do their bit to show respects.
A procession of more than a dozen taxis followed David’s hearse to the funeral, which was held at St Nicholas Church in Guisborough.
Jimmy said: “There was a massive turnout for his funeral. He was a proper family man. He would do anything for anybody.
“He was a really great bloke and an excellent taxi driver. He was a brilliant work colleague and will be missed by me and all the other drivers.”
Popular driver
Tributes have also been paid to a Bolton taxi driver who also spent 35 years at the wheel.
Richard James Brazier worked was a taxi driver in the town where he got to know thousands of people throughout his career, and was a “very popular taxi driver”, as his daughter Janie Whitehead told The Bolton News.
Richard was 81 when he died and had only retired two years earlier.
His family told The Bolton News he suffered a stroke last October and spent time in hospital. He also spent time in Bright Meadows Care Home, where he was looked after until his death.
Janie said: “He was a lovely dad and a very popular taxi driver. When I put a notification on Facebook, more than 60 people remembered him fondly.”
“When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed getting dressed in his swanky clothes and going to the Balmoral, Griffin and Mosley Arms pubs, where he had lots of friends.”
Richard’s funeral was held at Overdale Crematorium’s West Chapel and was followed by a gathering at The Balmoral, in Bolton town centre.
“It seemed only fitting to hold it there, because it’s where he had so many happy times,” said Janie.
Community
Taxi drivers meet thousands of people as they go about their daily routine and, especially those who spend their working lives at the wheel, become a big part of the community they serve. They see the good, the bad and the ugly, but are always there to help, often going above and beyond the call of duty.
Many are on first-name terms with the passengers from all walks of life and several become friends.
It is moving to see so many people pay tribute to taxi drivers such as Richard and Davey because it shows their families and colleagues how much they were appreciated and how much they will be missed.