Auction at Shrewsbury pub pays for ex-soldier's funeral
A former soldier who was taken in by his Shrewsbury pub landlady and died without family or a will is set to be buried this week.
Jim Geraghty, 66, died three weeks ago after being diagnosed with lung cancer in February. After his diagnosis, he moved in with his friend and landlady Renate Payton, who runs the Bull Inn.
After Jim, a former member of the Royal Scots Dragoons, died she organised a charity auction on Friday and raised more than £1,220 to pay for his funeral. "I am delighted how the auction went," said Renate. "The reaction of people to the news Jim has died has been amazing, and they all wanted to give something to pay for his funeral. It went really, really well, in fact better than I could have hoped."
The auction included a bottle of whisky signed by Prime Minister David Cameron and donated by Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski, plus goods donated from businesses around the town
"I can't really believe the response," said Renate. "People have just been popping in to the pub and giving me envelopes with £100 in to help pay for the funeral."
The response has been so great Renate thinks she may not only be able to pay for the funeral but also make a significant donation to the Severn Hospice where Jim was nursed in his final days.
"The hospice was wonderful at the end," she said. "I think we'll have some money left over after paying for the funeral so we'll make a donation."
Renate also said she had been overwhelmed with the comments left on the Shropshire Star website following the original story about Jim last week.
"We thought Jim was a real gent and we just wanted to give him the funeral he deserved," she added.
Jim's funeral takes place at Shrewsbury Cathedral, Town Walls on Thursday at 1.15pm.
