By Hayley Robinson

Dozens of people are expected to attend the funeral of a retired Sittingbourne butcher.

Bernard Barker (pictured on the left), of Bell Road, died aged 73 on February 27 - just six days short of celebrating his Golden Wedding Anniversary with childhood sweetheart Jill.

The good samaritan was about to tow a family member’s car, which had broken down on the A2 close to the Ebbsfleet turn off, when he suffered a massive heart at the wheel of his car.

Mr Barker started as a butcher boy at the Old Coopery, in East Street, Sittingbourne, aged just 14 and trained as a butcher while in the army.

He opened his first butcher’s shop at the parade of shops in Northwood Drive in 1968 where he worked until his retirement in 1995. His son Neil took over the business and his eldest son Stephen eventually took over the newsagents next door to the family shop.

The shop was recognised by many as providing good quality meat with a superb service to match. Mr Barker was also the proud winner of the Kent Sausage Championship three years in a row from 1975 to 1977 and again in 1983.

Upon leaving school, Mr Barker joined the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and 8th Tank Regiment and from 1954 to 1957 he was a gunner-driver of a Centurian tank.

When he left the army, he worked as a driver on the trains at Bowaters Paper Mill for nine years but he was still an active member of the local tank regiment association and was the standard bearer.

Mr Barker leaves behind his wife Jill, their three children Stephen, Neil and Melanie and six grandchildren.

His funeral will take place at St Michael’s Church, High Street, Sittingbourne, at noon on Monday, March 15. He will then be buried at Sittingbourne Cemetery, in Bell Road, alongside his father who died when Mr Barker was just six-months-old.

Friends and family are welcome to attend.

Flowers or donations to the charity Meningitis UK, should be made via the funeral directors R High & Sons, 1 Bayford Road, Sittingbourne.