Royal Mail convoy for funeral of ‘loved’ Ilkeston postman

It was Mr Woolley’s manager Lisa Pynegar, 48, who arranged the procession, ensuring all 26 vans from the Ilkeston depot were made available for his funeral.

“Lee was just such a good guy and the whole of our depot was just heartbroken when he passed.

“Everybody just wanted to come together to pay our respects,” Ms Pynegar said.

Mr Woolley left behind his two sisters, Ms Hearson and Kim Woolley, 30, and his pregnant wife Vanessa Woolley, 40.

Mrs Woolley described her late husband as a “wonderful man” who “loved to socialise”.

The couple were married in 2019 and Mr Woolley was diagnosed with bowel cancer two years later.

Mrs Woolley said she had been undergoing IVF treatment but just two weeks before Christmas, they were told Mr Woolley’s diagnosis was terminal.

“We had a chat and I asked if we should stop the IVF but he wanted to carry on. He saw the pregnancy and the baby as something positive,” Mrs Woolley said.

Mrs Woolley is expecting their child in December.

She said that although she knew her husband’s prognosis did not give them much longer together, she “didn’t expect it to be so soon”.

“It was earth-shattering,” she said. “Lee was a very loving, attentive person.

“He couldn’t do enough for you. I couldn’t have found a more kind, loving husband.”