Alan Woof, a wagon driver who worked on the M6 construction project in Cumbria and was later employed at the British Gypsum plant in Kirkby Thore for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 78.
Born in July 1943, Alan was one of nine children to Jim and Maggie Woof, of Cliburn, with four brothers and four sisters.
“He was a person who liked people,” said one sister, Dorothy Savage.
Alan was educated at Cliburn and Appleby schools before gaining practical work experience, first as a cabinet maker and also a carpet fitter, at Vasey’s in Penrith.
In his early teens, Alan showed an interest in horses and prowess as a budding jockey. He rode in races on one particular horse, Silver Sand, for Cliburn farmer Gib Burns, and was crowned champion junior in front of a large crowd at one particular Appleby event.
For around 10 years he travelled across the country as a wagon driver, both for Tuer’s of Morland and in Penrith for Geoff Stamper.
During this period, he also carried out other driving duties — behind the controls of dumper trucks in the Eden district while the M6 was constructed in Cumbria — which would make southbound HGV trips for him and many others far more efficient and straightforward in the future.
Alan’s work at British Gypsum was spent in board plant two, and he was a charge hand by the time of his retirement during which he also worked as a bus driver.
He married Freda Kirkland at Penrith’s St Andrew’s Church in August, 1970, the couple having met at a Langwathby May Day dance. Their son, Darren, was born two years later.
When he was aged four, the family moved to Skirwith where they ran the village shop with Freda a familiar face behind the counter for almost a decade.
This closed amid the increasing impact of supermarkets with the shop converted into a living room and the property sold.
The family then moved to a bungalow at Willow Close in Penrith which was the only one on the market at that time, and it remained their home.
Alan played golf at Appleby and dominoes. Together with his wife, he was a committee member at Penrith Football Club both at Southend Road in the town, and after its relocation to Frenchfield in 2009.
They regularly watched first team matches and would often spend a full day out as they attended away games.
They enjoyed fell walking and while living in Skirwith would think nothing of a hike up Cross Fell; and would travel together as far afield as Australia.
Following Alan’s death, on February 6, a funeral service took place at the Eden Valley Cematorium.
Arrangements were by Walker’s, of Penrith.
He is survived by wife Freda, of Willow Close; son Darren, of Parklands Crescent, both Penrith; and siblings Peter Woof, Dorothy Savage and Richard Woof, all of Penrith; Sheila Irving, of Queensland, Australia; Audrey Hardy, of the Turks and Caicos Islands; and Kathleen Lockett, of London.
Alan was also a much loved stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle.
