The Story Behind Just One Of Our Christmas Day Guests.
A caring Great Yarmouth community rallied round to bury an old man forgotten by his family but adapted by the local people who vowed to make him 'King for a Day'.....
Reg Sapey was a well known character in the Northgate Street area of the town, walking up and down the busy street several times a day, tipping his hat towards shopkeepers and neighbours who in turn looked out for him. It is these people who have committed to giving him a decent funeral, although he left little money and few clues about his early life.
Leading the challenge to unravel the few frayed ends of his life was Anita Graves, the office manager and funeral arranger at Arthur Jary and Sons in Northgate Street. Over several years Anita had connected with Reg on an almost daily basis, at first he would smile, then he would wave and progressed to saying hello........... He died in 2011 and Anita discovered the following:
Reg's lonely death was matched by an equally forlorn birth, his parents were Arthur Sapey and Lilly Yaxley. He had half sisters Margaret and Gladys and an adopted sister Barbara who he probably never knew.
When Reg was a teenager, he had a farm accident involving a tractor and was pinned under it for several days before help arrived. He either lost his mind or suffered a brain injury and was institutionalised. Records reveal few traces of him before 1999 when he made a will which could not be executed because the solicitor had died. Anita could not discover how he lived as a child or even the date of his birthday, his bungalow in Frederick Road was sparsely furnished but immaculate, his only luxury being his Sky TV.
One of the highlights of Reg's life was the Open Christmas lunch on Christmas Day, which he attended every year, looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. His funeral was held in August 2011 with companies giving their services for free and a gathering taking place at the Apollo Tavern, a pub he would sometimes attend. There his life was celebrated and the local community rallied to remember him and make him 'King for a day'.
The small amount of money which was found at Reg's home was forwarded to the Open Christmas Great Yarmouth charity, in memory of the love and friendship he'd known there.
Many thanks to Arthur Jary & Sons Ltd and The Mercury for this information.
A caring Great Yarmouth community rallied round to bury an old man forgotten by his family but adapted by the local people who vowed to make him 'King for a Day'.....
Reg Sapey was a well known character in the Northgate Street area of the town, walking up and down the busy street several times a day, tipping his hat towards shopkeepers and neighbours who in turn looked out for him. It is these people who have committed to giving him a decent funeral, although he left little money and few clues about his early life.
Leading the challenge to unravel the few frayed ends of his life was Anita Graves, the office manager and funeral arranger at Arthur Jary and Sons in Northgate Street. Over several years Anita had connected with Reg on an almost daily basis, at first he would smile, then he would wave and progressed to saying hello........... He died in 2011 and Anita discovered the following:
Reg's lonely death was matched by an equally forlorn birth, his parents were Arthur Sapey and Lilly Yaxley. He had half sisters Margaret and Gladys and an adopted sister Barbara who he probably never knew.
When Reg was a teenager, he had a farm accident involving a tractor and was pinned under it for several days before help arrived. He either lost his mind or suffered a brain injury and was institutionalised. Records reveal few traces of him before 1999 when he made a will which could not be executed because the solicitor had died. Anita could not discover how he lived as a child or even the date of his birthday, his bungalow in Frederick Road was sparsely furnished but immaculate, his only luxury being his Sky TV.
One of the highlights of Reg's life was the Open Christmas lunch on Christmas Day, which he attended every year, looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. His funeral was held in August 2011 with companies giving their services for free and a gathering taking place at the Apollo Tavern, a pub he would sometimes attend. There his life was celebrated and the local community rallied to remember him and make him 'King for a day'.
The small amount of money which was found at Reg's home was forwarded to the Open Christmas Great Yarmouth charity, in memory of the love and friendship he'd known there.
Many thanks to Arthur Jary & Sons Ltd and The Mercury for this information.
