Tributes to Fleetwoodestate agent

Bryan Simpson, who lived in Carleton, ran his own estate agents business on Lord Street for the best part of a decade, before retiring in August 2013.

Mr Simpson had been coping for some years with the lung condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and died from pneumonia in Blackpool Victoria Hospital on January 31, aged 69.

His funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium on Tuesday.

The father-of-one had been married to Blackpool girl Lynne for 42 years and she said: “Bryan loved working in Fleetwood and felt comfortable there.

“He came from a family who had been involved in mining in Durham and he saw a strong similarity in fishing and mining towns – they all risked their lives at work and they had a strong sense of community.

“Bryan made many friends in Fleetwood and altogether he worked there for nearly 20 years.”

And former colleague Ron Kennedy, a retired Fleetwood estate agent, said: “Bryan was well respected and he was a real gentleman.

“He treated people with respect and was a genuine person to turn to as a provider of mortgages. I worked with him at several agencies and we all remained friends after we went our separate ways.”

Mr Simpson grew up in the Crook Town area of Durham until he was 12, when his parents moved to Blackpool to run a boarding house on Charnley Road.

An ex-Blackpool Grammar School pupil, he worked in the civil service as a valuation officer and this work saw him work in Burnley and eventually Morpeth in the North East, before he decided to return the Fylde coast.

He eventually switched to estate agency work and after employment at Entwistle Green he moved to Fleetwood in the early 1990s, working for several firms before setting up his own business. Mr Simpson was a keen supporter of Blackpool FC and was a member of the fans forum.

He is survived by wife Lynne, daughter Hazel and one grand-daughter. The family asks for donations in lieu to the British Lung Foundation.