Family mourn former Skegness area businessman who loved sport

Anthony Edward Coupland, of Kennedy Drive, passed away at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Known to family and friends as Tony, he was born in Grantham Hospital on October 29, 1934.

He was the first child of Lilian and Arthur Coupland. At the time, the family lived in Grantham and he had a younger brother, Roger.

Very early at school, Tony began to show athletic prowess in sprinting, but before long moved on to grass track cycle racing.

In 1948, when he was 13, the family moved to Spilsby where he attended the local school.

He left school at 16 and joined his father’s plumbing business, AE Coupland. Roger would join the company nine years later and it became AE Coupland and Sons.

In the 70’s ,the family moved to Sausthorpe and later that decade into Skegness.

To his great credit Tony looked after his ageing parents at home for many years, Arthur living to be over 100.

When he was 18, he enlisted for National Service and served for three years (1952-55) and another four years as a reservist for the Royal Engineers as a Sapper.

Tony’s racing achievements were significant. In his time trials he broke the 25-mile barrier in breaking

under one hour in 1953 on the A1 in a time of 59mins 43secs aged 18. He did it again in 1962 in Hull at 59mins 45sec.

Tony rode for Skegness Wheelers and also did a short spell with Boston Wheelers in 1960 and Alford Wheelers from 1961 onwards.

Tony never married or had children of his own but he greatly enjoyed his niece Lynne’s company and has watched Lynne’s son David grow up, sharing Sunday lunches.

He also loved spending time with his numerous cousins and their families over the years.

Tony was very much an outdoors person who loved the fresh air and being near the sea. He kept up his fitness with regular cycling trips and swimming in the sea two or three times a week up to 80 years old.

His other interests were planes and anything to with flight, local history - especially churches and their architecture - family history and looking back at historical events. He also loved reading books, both historical and factual.

The funeral service was held at Alford Crematorium, conducted by Ian Huggett.

Family mourners were:

Peter, Nicholas, Diane, Joanne Craik, Barry Wade, Peter and David Marshall, Eunice Percival, and Norman and Ann Wright.

Other mourners include

Peter and Sandra Bowman, Margaret Robinson and family, Robert & Elizabeth Stone, John Eden, Paul

Gray, William Evans, Sue and Ted Ashmore, Charlie Johnson, Gareth Evans.

Fred and Shirley James, Sue Marsh and Fred Drinkell, David Chapman, Paul Lawler, Derek Patten, T Cooke,

Geoff Dixon, John Needham.

Arthur Middleton, Bryan Leggate, Ken and Marjorie Wilkinson, John Wildman, Hedley Smith, Andrew Wilkinson.