Funeral service turnout ‘a fitting tribute to Mr Halstead’
More than 200 people turned out to celebrate the life of a former businessman and mayor described as “Mr Halstead”.
Roy McDowell, who was the town’s mayor between 1976 and 1979, and, together with wife Joan, oversaw the McDowells retail empire, died in hospital last month.
Mr McDowell, 79, of Hedingham Road, Halstead, had suffered a stroke on the verge of retirement in 2000 and his health gradually deteriorated.
Last Friday, immediate family and friends attended his funeral, before more than 200 people piled into St Andrew’s Church for a service in celebration of his life.
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