Joe Hopcroft

R.I.P. Joe, I will never forget you and all the fun and jokes and tricks you played on us over the last 30 plus years rest in peace Joe and say hello to old Harry for me and no playing jokes on me when I am doing security round Waxham in the dark! never forget you Joe xx

Joey is my one of kind bother in law love u to bits I want to tell you just one of the pranks he did on me . I owned a lovey fiesta so proud when I was 18 ish the number plate was SLX some thing Joey put two black tapes on front and rear saying SEX I drove around for months and I mean months love him ❤️. I have so many will re post more x love you Joey

I've known the Hopcrofts a long time, through Joe's brother Johnny Boy! In my early teens I would either venture to the Evreham centre on my bike or round to Trudie & Johns to see Danni & Tom! Occasionally with John I would go with him in the truck to run errands and on the way back we would stop off at the yard. The yard always looked full of adventure the minute you pulled up... always something going on - it was finding people that was the challenge! ;) ... but then .... out popped Joe from somewhere/nowhere each time like some sort of superhero; usually frightening the life out of me, hands all black, trying to scruff my hair to say hi... face usually to match! ..but having seen him at the family weddings since - he does manage to scrub up well, just not sure if the one liners had improved! :-) !! haha, oh Joe you really were one of a kind. I will hold these little memories dear, and will walk following the family tomorrow with Matt, to honour this good man, and also walk for our Mum too, who I know will be walking beside us all for you Joe. Our whole family sends all our love to you Dawn, Becky, Jodey, Jennie, Carl and all the family - and we pray that all your beautiful memories and continued love for this wonderful man will carry you through. xxx

Spent many a great weekend in Norfolk with Joe, Dawn and Phil. At Sea Palling helping out at the caravan site or farm driving tractors and having fun at the same time, also eating fig roll biscuits for dinner and waking up to another one of Joe's pranks in the morning. Just like to thank Joe's granddaughter Kara for keeping me informed and letting me know all about his illness. You left us to early. R.I.P my friend Joe.

I've known Joe and the Hopcroft clan from about 1965 or so helping and working with my dad in the yard, he used drive about the yard in an old ford popular called Thunderbird 2 having great fun. Joe was the joker in the pack and was always doing pranks and having a laugh. One time he asked me if I would help him one evening after work to steer an old BMC truck while he towed it up the road that he had sold, some time after and what seemed like forever I saw a road sigh Birmingham 20 miles, that was up the road ha ha!!!. Another time while he was working on a lorry up to his armpits in grease a stressed out Dawn came running to the garage with Becky in her arms shouting at him saying that Becky had swallowed a boiled sweet and it was stuck, with a skilful movement Joe stuck his greasy fingers down her throat and removed the blockage leaving Dawn a happy mum even though Becky was covered in grease. Joe was a lovely man and would help anyone anytime for no reward he will be greatly missed by all, he's now with his Dad Harry and Mum Elizabeth or Bet to her friends. R.I.P my friend Joe.

I’ve only ever known Joe as the friendly face behind the reception desk at the site. His smile has marked the start of a holiday for me since I was a child. I’m so very sorry for your loss and my thoughts and prayers are with you all. I truly hope when we can move past the devastation of the past year, I’m able to bring my family to Waxham Sands again, and I will look for Joe’s smiling face in the clouds. xxx

CLEAN IT WITH MILK! Many years ago, Joe gave me an Ex Military, Explosives container. I loved the whole, "Star Wars" look to it which is why I accepted my gift. He told me that because it was an explosives container, there was only one way to clean it. If there were traces of Black powder, He advised using Milk. If I were to use water, there could be a chance of any powder residue, exploding-These were Joe's warnings. So, when I took it home in 2009, I washed it out with Milk, as per Joe's instructions. Needless to say Joe was joking.... Needless to say, Joe loved hearing from Carl that his joke had worked !! Bless you Joe. Joey Green.

My most amazing Uncle. A man of wit, laughter and a terrible joke. Our protector and our support. I will miss you always. Love you forever xx

Words cannot convey the true worth of a person or the gaping hole their passing leaves in so many people's lives, but especially for their family. Joe is that rare human being who masked his generous, caring heart with humour, throw away lines and so many bad jokes!! I was priveleged to teach 3 of this amazing Hopcroft family at Iver First School and one was an amazing singer in my 'specialist' choir. So I got to meet Joe and Dawn at Parents'Evenings and school do's. We have remained friends for years. Thinking of Joe now just makes me smile. It always has. His open, friendly smile always meant people smiled back. He would always go 'that extra mile' sometimes quite literally for the school! We didn't have any money to buy carpets for the reading corners in school so Joe and another parent drove to where they could get free carpet( from an office somewhere, miles away) and every class had a pastel green carpet cut and laid in our Reading corners. So much better than the individual carpet squares the children used to sit on!! When I became Headteacher at Iver Infant School Joe would ALWAYS come to my rescue to remove damaged or unwanted items. I know many desks and chairs were removed and Joe found a way for them to find their way to schools in Africa along with outdated educational equipment that was still useful. I have a sneaking suspicion that Joe played a huge part in getting this equipment to Africa. This is what I mean by his generous, caring spirit. Joe, you will always be a true Superstar to me. Roz xx

Please leave a memory of Joe for us to read, so we can look back on in years to come. From Joe's family xxx