Geoffrey Stewart Hulett

“A daily thought, a silent tear, a constant wish that you were here.”

Geoffrey passed away peacefully at home with his loving wife Jean by his side on 9th August, aged 75 years.

Geoff wrote that he was born in a small Derbyshire mining village called Poolsbrook in Staveley, Chesterfield and although the village no longer exists it is now a beautiful Country Park.  He and his sister Christine attended the local school and had no alternative but to attend the Sunday school as both their mother and Uncle Derek were both Sunday School teachers there.

At the age of eight, Geoff and his family moved to Mastin Moor, a brand-new council estate with a massive play area which quickly became a haven for the kids to play in, especially the boys who formed various gangs and perfected the art of getting into trouble but because Geoff’s dad was well known and respected, Geoff was very careful not to take trouble to their door.

Geoff attended Middle Croft School and enjoyed playing in the football team.  His dad was a miner all his working life with a passion for motorbikes which inevitably passed onto his son and Geoff drove his dad’s motorbike and sidecar from an early age.

By the time Geoff was sixteen, his brother Derrick was born but Geoff had other things on his mind.  After leaving school he worked with the Co-Op for three years and at the age of sixteen, he bought a motorbike having saved hard and he sported the image to go with it.  Long curly fair curly hair which he washed every day and although she used to say tell him he would wash it away, he never listened but how right she was in the end!

Once he had the power of the engine, he got a leather studded jacket, the boots and became a rocker with many of the lads on the estate.

Whilst working for the Co-op they put him in for his driving test and although he passed, he remembers the examiner had to sit on a milk crate as there were no passenger seats in the vehicle!

At the age of eighteen, Geoff became an apprentice at a local butcher’s shop in Brimington and whilst learning the skills he also made sausages on a Monday, for the whole day!

He always smiled when remembering the shop closed early so the staff could watch the 1966 world cup match in the back room of the shop and he was also smug because he didn’t get on with the boss’s German wife – so for Geoff the victory was win win!

Geoff later joined Express Dairy, eventually working his way up to the role of supervisor.  He and his close friend Terry formed a Sunday League Football Team which is still in existence and at the same ground but back then, the lads got changed in a large shed at the back of the pub whereas the players now have the luxury of proper changing rooms.

Geoff met his late wife Franes on a blind date, with Terry and his girlfriend and the four of them used to go off on holiday together.

Geoff and Frances often visited Christine and her family in Bradwall, Sandbach and liked the area so much, after Claire was born, they decided to move there, and Geoff found work on a Dairy Farm.  He loved the work and learnt new skills and eventually Geoff arrived in 1977 so as a family, they enjoyed living in the countryside.

At the age of forty, Geoff had a career change working for Securicor, initially at Mccquorcadales and then at different locations ending up as a supervisor in Barclays at Radbrook Hall, Knutsford.

Geoff and Frances had many holidays abroad and they were keen members of Crewe Bowing Club, particularly enjoying the social aspect, regularly meeting up with friends.

Geoff finally retired at sixty-six, taking the redundancy package offered to him which allowed them the freedom of more foreign holidays.

Frances became ill and sadly passed away in 2016, and as they had been married for forty-three years, Geoff’s brother Derrick advised it was only right to tell their mum about Frances dying.  Their mum was ninety-three and, in a home, sadly she also passed away three months later.

Geoff was at a very low edge at this time and his family did what they could, but he felt no one could really understand his grief but then his late friend Les Griffiths set about the hard task of trying to introduce Geoff to sequence dancing and with a lot of perseverance, he managed it.

Geoff found a new lease of life and a keen interest in dancing, but it was also how he met Jean and as their relationship blossomed, Geoff was rescued from a life of solitude and loneliness.  They went on regular holidays with the dance group and as their love deepened, they decided to get married, and what a fantastic wedding it was at the Hunters Lodge with friends saying it was the best wedding they had ever attended although Geoff thought that his family had miss giving’s about the marriage.

Geoff had grown to love dancing; he had always had a passion for Crown Green Bowling playing for various leagues in the Crewe area and he also had a love of DIY and could turn his hand to anything.

Geoff has a daughter Claire, son Martin, Grandaughters Jade, Jess and Pippa, Grandson Ronnie and great Grandsons Tristan and Archie.

When Geoff’s illness worsened and got the better of him, his dancing and bowling had to stop although his holidays with Jean and numerous friends continued for a time.  Jean knew of his illness before they were married but she promised to stand by him, and she certainly did.  Geoff wants it on record that she was “there for me seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day and I thank her for that from my heart”

A Eulogy written from the heart!

A service to celebrate his life will take place on Wednesday 24th August in the Crematorium Chapel, Crewe at 12.15pm, followed by cremation.

Donations in memory of Geoffrey will be gratefully received on behalf of St. Luke’s Hospice and MacMillan.

For further information please contact our funeral home on 01270 584447.