St Peter’ s Church in Stainforth was packed recently as more than 200 people attended the funeral of Robert Hanson.

Robert, the owner of Stainforth Garage, was born in Colne in 1947. He was the eldest of Joe and Gladys Hanson’s two children and grew up on the family dairy farm at Foulridge.

He was educated at Foulridge Primary and Park High School in Colne where he excelled at maths and made lifelong friends. On leaving school Robert worked on the farm and ran a milk-round but always had a great passion for motorbikes. However, he didn’t speed about on any bike but loved to take them apart before repairing and re-assembling them with his friends from the village.

Robert’s father Joe had apprenticed as a mechanic before helping the land effort during the war and Joe taught Robert how to fix machines and engines.

In 1969 the family decided to move out of farming and bought Stainforth Garage. Joe and Robert loved a challenge and would repair everything from the latest car and land-rover to old tractors, lawn-mowers and even washing machines.

Robert lost his brave fight with cancer in July and at his funeral was described as kind, generous, sincere and responsible, always thinking of others before himself and bringing joy and laughter to the village as well as his family.

Robert leaves a widow, Carol, three sons and a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a granddaughter and a sister. Robert’s son Chris continues the Hanson tradition of fixing things at the garage. The whole family is immensely grateful for £1200 raised for HODU at Airedale and St Peter’s Stainforth in Robert’s memory.