Dozens of mourning motorcyclists followed the trike hearse of a much-loved biker and mother-of-four through Leeds.
The procession of more than 50 trikes, motorbikes and other vehicles passed through the city as a final mark of respect for 47-year-old Dorothy Clark, from Gipton, who died from heart and renal failure on September 7.
Bikers from as far as Scotland travelled to Leeds to attend Dorothy’s funeral, a special ceremony at Rawdon Crematorium, on Leeds Road, Rawdon, yesterday.
Her husband Gary Clark, 54, who met Dorothy when he was 17, said: “People always say, ‘We will always remember Dorothy for her massive smile’, she always tried to put her own problems behind her so nobody knew.
“She always made friends wherever she would go – they all loved her.”
The couple, who considered themselves motorbike “rallyists”, owned a Reliant Rialto trike as well as a Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, which Gary rode in the funeral procession, and used to visit bikers all over the country every weekend.
Dorothy, who used to work in retail, first fell ill six years ago when she had a heart attack and, after a period of recovery, her health gradually declined over the last two years.
She suffered five heart attacks in the final six weeks of her life, before passing away earlier this month at the Leeds General Infirmary.
Gary said: “The doctors kept on saying, ‘We can’t do anything for her and it’s just a matter of time’, and it was stressing for us all.
“You try to be strong and think you will get over it but we just didn’t.”
More than 200 mourners were expected to attend the funeral.
Dorothy, known to many as Doz, requested that any collections at the funeral be donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Appeal, which saves the lives of injured motorists countless times each year.
Her husband added: “She said she couldn’t look after me or my sons or the motorbike family, so she said, ‘The only way I can look after you is by having a collection’.”
She leaves behind a husband of 32 years, and four sons, aged 27 to 32.
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