Malcolm marks 50 years’ service

Born in the nearby village of Muckton, Malcolm Dixon moved to Louth aged 16 and since then has been married and has had two children and two grandchildren.

A keen snooker player, Malcolm has been a member of Louth Town and Country Club for 40 years.

He is a popular member of the community both in and out of work, and has had such a big impact that people will even arrange the timings of their loved ones’ funerals to ensure he can be there to help.

He started his career aged just 15 when he joined funeral directors V. Walker & Sons in Louth, which was acquired by Lincolnshire Co-op in 2005. The funeral home has since moved to its current home on Eastgate in 2012.

His main passion was joinery and was the reason for him joining the funeral profession, where he made coffins.

Over the years, the woodwork slowed down, and he soon became a full-time funeral service operative, supporting families at the most difficult of times. And half a century later he’s still there supporting the community.

Malcolm said: “When I first started, we had to make coffins from scratch. You really had to have a skill for woodwork which you don’t need now.

“What’s kept me here is my colleagues, we’re like a family. Sometimes with the job there can be difficult days, but the team here are so positive that they can help you through it.”

During a surprise celebration event on August 21, short statements from members of the community were read out.

This included one from Rev’d Robert Mansfield, who said: “Myself and Malcolm have been working together for just over 30 years and during that time it’s been a pleasure. Malcolm is always professional in everything that he does and has set an excellent example to those around him.”

During his time at the funeral home, Malcolm has undertaken charity fundraising including taking part in a fancy-dress cycle with fellow colleagues around the town.

He’s also been the driver for the various mayors of the town for more than 40 years including the former Mayor of Louth, Fran Treanor.

Councillor Treanor said: “Malcolm is a very professional person at this job. His dry, caustic wit and humour is what makes him an excellent person to work with.”

Lincolnshire Co-op Funeral operations manager Richard Robinson said: “Without people like Malcolm we wouldn’t be where we are today. He’s a superb asset to our business and it’s absolutely astounding what he has accomplished.”

For Malcolm, it was a total surprise to get such recognition, as he just assumed it was a normal working day.

He said: “I had no idea what was going to happen, it was amazing and was great to hear all the kind words from everyone.

“It’s been a joy to work here and I hope to keep supporting families in Louth during their time of need.”