TRIBUTES have been paid to a “caring and motivating” dad who bravely fought prostate cancer, survived a cardiac arrest, and battled back after suffering a stroke.
Richard Rush, from Clacton, died peacefully in his sleep of heart failure at Colchester Hospital on February 26 at the age of 74-years-old.
Throughout his life the father-of-seven enjoyed spending time on his boat, buying and then rebuilding campervans, playing badminton and fishing.
Another of his favourite pastimes was clay pigeon shooting, and he also supported Colchester United, regularly watching them play on the weekends.
During his working days, Richard, who has three grandchildren, was a security guard at Highfield Grange Holiday Park but he is perhaps best known as The Cooker Man.
For most of his life he fitted and repaired cookers in many households throughout the town and he also owned his very own shop.
Paying tribute, his family said: “He was the person who picked us up when we were low, a person to relax with and forget about all the problems in life.
“All of his children, grandchildren, friends, family will never be able to fill the gap he has left and we will not ever stop missing him.
“He had the typical dad jokes and even up until his last day he was laughing and joking. He was never too serious - he simply lived to laugh and make others laugh.
“He was a creature of comfort, the way too his heart was a good cup of tea, a nice bacon roll, and a mid-afternoon nap - which is how he spent his last day.”
Two of Richard’s eight children include Matthew and his sister Alex who he fathered from the ages of two-years-old and six-years-old.
They both said: “As a dad, you couldn’t have asked for more, he was caring, motivating, and all of our back bones.
“You could go to him with any issue and even though he may not have all the answers, he was always there to listen and give his advice.
“He wasn’t my biological dad and yet he still took me under his wing from when I was two, allowed me to take his name and raised me no differently to his other children.
“He was a fair man, helping us all monetarily the same, he would always be there to help with any manual work.
“He would always be the first person there for his family no matter the day or time.”
Richard’s funeral take place from 11.45am at Weeley Crematorium on Wednesday.
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