Family, friends and fans say goodbye to On The Buses actor Stephen Lewis as funeral held
Family, friends and fans have turned out for the funeral of actor Stephen Lewis, best known for his role role as Inspector Cyril "Blakey" Blake in sitcom On The Buses.
Among more than 100 mourners who attended to say goodbye to the actor today was the only surviving star of On The Buses, Anna Karen, who paid tribute to a "very funny man".
Lewis died aged 88 on August 12 at Cambridge Nursing Home in Wanstead, north-east London.
A double-decker bus was among the floral tributes at the funeral, which was held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Wanstead.
Ms Karen said: "He'll be very sadly missed. He was an extremely talented and very funny man and wonderful to work with."
His great-niece Rebecca gave a reading and the wife of his nephew Peter read a eulogy to the actor.
She described Lewis as a "kind, generous and funny man whose family meant the world to him", adding he would probably be "chuckling at the attention".
Hymns included Be Still My Soul, to a melody from Finlandia by Sibelius, and Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer.
The actor's coffin was carried out of the church to the sound of Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again before a burial at St Patrick's Cemetery.
Val Buck, 64, a Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Lourdes, who took communion to the actor, said he was a "lovely man".
She said: "He was so warm. He told me all about his life. He was really warm and kind."
Born in Poplar, east London, in 1926, Lewis was the son of Richard Lewis, a stoker in the Royal Navy, and his wife Elizabeth.
He worked as a bricklayer, electrician's mate and carpenter and joined the Merchant Navy before first treading the boards at the Theatre Royal in Stratford.
He went on to star in several plays and made his West End debut in The Hostage in 1958.
Alongside On The Buses, his television roles included Harry Lambert in Oh, Doctor Beeching!, Royston Flagg in Rep and Clem "Smiler" Hemmingway in Last Of The Summer Wine.