'Farewell Pete Marquis' - Bagpipes and showgirls give businessman final send-off on day of mixed emotions

It was a day mixed with sorrow and smiles as hundreds came together to say a final farewell to much loved and missed businessman Pete Marquis.

The self-made businessman and philanthropist who was the director of Pete Marquis Contractors died suddenly at his home at Bryars Farm in Lea following a suspected heart attack on Friday, October 16, aged 56.

Planning his own funeral, he made sure the hundreds of people who attended had a day to remember. Bagpipes played Amazing Grace, while uplifting music and showgirls helped make a sad day more bearable.

Testament to how much he was and is loved, hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects including pupils and parents of Treales Church of England Primary School as a convoy of his trucks lead the way to the funeral.

One parent told the Gazette: “I am a parent of three children who attend the school. Over the years Pete has made a huge difference to the children’s experience of the school. The money he gives towards the schools helps fund trips. The children are here today to say thank you to Pete. He is going to be massively missed by the whole school community.”

A well-known businessman and philanthropist, Pete raised more than £1 million for charity and supported good causes across Lancashire. He founded Pete Marquis Contractors in 1991, when Pete led a small two‑person team focused on agricultural work.

Over the next three decades, Pete had grown his business into a powerhouse, with his name a familiar sight on his fleet of demolition vehicles, skips, plant and machinery at worksites across the region.

His work made him a prominent figure in the Preston business community, but Pete will also be remembered for his many acts of generosity in the local community and beyond. Pete devoted more than two decades to raising money for good causes, supporting everything from children's hospices, homelessness, local schools and individuals in need of a helping hand.

He began his fundraising efforts in earnest around 2004 and went on to raise more than £1million for good causes, with charity auctions, balls, tractor runs and his famous ‘Rola-Cola Christmas Truck’ - often generating tens of thousands of pounds in a single evening.

His fundraising supported a range of local organisations, including Derian House Children's Hospice, St Catherine's Hospice, Trinity Hospice, the Katy Holmes Trust and many more.

But his generosity extended well beyond large-scale fundraising events. Pete regularly supported local schools and community initiatives, including funding a new play area for Treales Church of England Primary School.

He also bought and delivered more than 2,000 Advent calendars each year to children at primary schools across the Fylde area, as well as helping families with the cost of Christmas.

Farewell Pete - you were one of a kind and will be missed.