A LARGE turnout is expected at the funeral of a long-serving Solihull pub landlord who passed away in the hospice which for years benefited from his kind-hearted fundraising efforts.
Aidan Mullins was landlord of the family-run Redhouse in Solihull for over 20 years and retired in 2009.
During a successful career, he and customers raised over £80,000 for Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.
Sadly, he passed away on June 20, aged 75, at the hospice in Marsh Lane.
He showed nurses photos of him presenting Marie Curie staff with a new bed that he had raised several hundred pounds for.
His funeral takes place next Thursday (July 18) at 11am at St Augustine’s church in Solihull when donations will go to Marie Curie Cancer care.
His daughter Marina Clarke said: “We are expecting a very big turnout from the Redhouse and his many friends and family from Solihull, and bar staff and customers from the other pubs in Solihull.
“We will be taking him to the church on a horse and cart with two silver cars following so it will be a very grand affair, which is what he deserved.
“We will also be pausing the funeral cortege as we pass the Redhouse.”
Aidan was born on April 2, 1944 in Gardenfield, Tuam, County Galway, the youngest of nine children.
He came to England (Birmingham) aged 16 when his brother brought him over for a holiday. He found work, including on buildings and in pubs, and stayed permanently.
He married Philomena (whose family had moved from Dublin) and had three children (Marina, Lisa and Aidan) and four grandchildren – Addison, Carissa, Ethan and Ruby.
His dream of running his own pub came true in 1987 at the New Inn, Balsall Heath before taking the step up to the Redhouse two years later.
Marina said: “He stayed there until he retired in 2009, making him the longest serving pub landlord in Solihull to this day. My mum also worked there as a cook and I worked there behind the bar, making it a family affair.
“He had high standards as a landlord and therefore kept a very well run and highly respected pub where there was rarely any trouble. His simple rules were no swearing in front of women, no feet on chairs, no drinking out of bottles. He was a firm but fair and very well respected.”
Of the two Marie Curie hospice fundraising drives, she said: “This was a cause close to his heart as he lost several of his siblings to cancer and many of his customers who had also become dear friends had succumbed to cancer.”
The fundraising enabled Marie Curie to buy furniture and equipment including three dual action riser recliner chairs costing £4,839, new beds, mattresses and chairs for both the Day Services and Inpatient Unit.
Fundraising activities included pub quizzes, cricket matches and charging commuters £5 a week to use the pub car park.
Marina said he had a very happy in retirement, and spent some of his time being characteristically gregarious on the other side of the bar.
He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in April and chose to move to Marie Curie in Solihull from Heartlands hospital and had a “constant flow of visitors”.
Marina added: “The staff were amazing and attentive and incredibly caring.”
“.. Even when dad was dying he asked us to donate £100 to Marie Curie because of their wonderful care.
“We will miss many things about dad, mainly his kindness, humour, wisdom, generosity and loving nature. Our lives will never be the same again as he was irreplaceable.”
