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Search forTributes to motor trade's Mr Smiley
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 09:37
Evan Bradshaw, 69, passed away at Rowcroft Hospice on September 7 after losing his battle against a rare form of cancer.
The Torquay family man worked in garages in Newton Abbot and Torquay including Renwicks, Moxhams, HA Fox and most recently in Central Garages.
In his career Evan sold hundreds of vehicles to residents , celebrities and royalty, charming customers with his winning smile and colourful personality.
He made headlines locally for being a champion salesman and in 1981 when he sold a Rolls Royce to Freddie Starr in less than an hour.
His wife Lyn said: "His happiness and sparkle rubbed off on everyone he met.
"He was always known as Mr Smiley. He smiled a lot and made acquaintances very easily. Evan made people feel special, they felt they could trust him immediately and they warmed to him."
Lyn met Evan in 1972 working at Moxhams. Their paths crossed just two weeks before she was set to leave to start training to become a nurse at Torbay Hospital.
Evan was born in Exeter and moved to Torquay with his family when he was five years old. He grew up in the Bay with his brother Mike, going to primary school at Westhill and secondary school at Audley Park before he got his first job at tailoring shop Maurice Childs on the Strand.
He spent two years doing national service and travelled to Germany before moving around the country working in the tailoring trade.
He did not start working in motoring until he returned to Devon in about 1968 when he got a job with Renwicks.
He later worked at Moxhams and HA Fox where he sold Rolls Royces, Ferraris and Bentleys.
Selling the luxury vehicles to stars of the stage visiting the Bay, he met celebrities such as Freddie Starr, Bernie Clifton, Michael Ball and members of the Saudi royal family.
Paul Mascard, who worked with Evan at HA Fox, said: "I knew him for years. He was a very nice person, just a lovely chap and very kind. We always used to think of him as 'nice car pretty colour' because that's what he used to say. We always remembered that."
After HA Fox closed he worked briefly in Newton Abbot before moving to Central Garages in 1997.
Peter Ashley from Central Garages said: "It was a great pleasure to have had Evan working for us for so many years. He was respected by all and was very professional in his job, which he loved. Evan was not just an employee but a most respected friend."
During his working life Evan travelled to many places including New York, Prague, Barcelona, Paris and Istanbul and regularly visited Goodwood and Henley.
Along with travelling with his family, Evan loved to be out in the fresh air at home in Devon or further afield.
He worked at Central Garages up until March this year when he was diagnosed with a rare form of small bowel cancer.
Lyn added: "There is virtually no early detection at all for this type of cancer, it has very little symptoms so it is a silent killer. The family feel it can only be defeated with more research into the disease."
Along with his wife Lyn, Evan leaves his children Matt, Chris, Helen, Heather, Trevor and Steve; grandchildren Karen, Lee, Nicola, Tim and Sarah and great grandchildren Chloe, Reece, Ben and Jake, and his brother Mike and nieces Andrea and Shirley.
Evan's funeral will take place on Friday at St Mary's Church, Kingskerswell, at 11.15am followed by a family cremation. Donations for Cancer Research UK can be sent to Drakes, Hele Road, Torquay, TQ2 7QG.
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