The funeral of Wolverhampton’s ring road tramp will be funded by the city council if any family or friends do not come forward.
A memorial could also be created in Wolverhampton to honour Josef Stawinoga’s status in the city, council leader Roger Lawrence has said.
Click here to see Fred’s life in pictures.
See also: Fred takes mystery to the grave.
Bosses must now wait several days to see if any relatives of the 87-year-old come forward before they begin planning a service for him.
Councillor Lawrence said there had been an “amazing response” to the announcement of the death of Mr Stawinoga, who was known as Fred. Cards paying tribute to Fred have been left at the city’s Ring Road, close to the St John’s Retail Park.
One card read: “To Jo, you will always be my Wolverhampton legend”, while another said: “Fred. It’s a sad day today. Rest In Peace. You will be sadly missed.”
One bouquet, tied in a gold and black bow, said: “A gentle character of Wolverhampton who nobody knew but everyone knew of”.
A card has also been left at the site with a message written in Polish. Fred’s sweeping brush, which he used to sweep leaves away from his tent and the roads nearby, was today still at the site along with one of his tatty coats surrounded by the floral tributes.
Councillor Lawrence said the tributes showed showed how the city took Fred to its heart and how the community and the council helped him live the life he wanted.
“Many years ago some business people asked me to try and remove him as he was “bad for the image” but I think the responses show Wolverhampton as a city that cared and that’s a far better image,” he said.
“If we want some sort of memorial to remind us then perhaps we should consider that in due course.”
Among those paying tribute to Fred was Terry Pilkington, aged 60, from Whitmore Reans. He used to buy him fish and chips when he popped into town to pick his wife up.
“I would go and give them to him, and he never said a word because I don’t think he could speak very much English,” he said.
“But his eyes told you everything. He didn’t speak but I could tell by the way he looked at me he was grateful.”
36 Comments
i cant believe that he is dead because he was just proper class and i often spoe to him if i saw him
I remember as child when visiting family in W’ton my Dad telling me about this man who lived on the ringroad. My brother & sisters would look out for his tent, trying to be the first to spot his tent each time we passed.
It would be nice gesture to have some kind of reminder where his tent was.
I am now living in Northern Ireland and saddened to hear of him passing away.
“The funeral of Wolverhampton’s ring road tramp will be funded by the city council if any family or friends do not come forward”.
Who is paying for his funeral again?
we love you Josef Stawinoga aka fred we miss you very much and will visit you in heavon when we reach that coming age/ time of our lives. we will definitly send you some floral tributes with our names and addresses so that you can reply to us and tell us what you think of our flowers. we will now walk past the wolvo ringroad knowing that you have gone some place nice and will think happy thoughts of all those times we sat and chatted about ww2 and the times we sat and begged for money. i even remember the time when that ginger bloke didn’t give you any money and so you got up and lamped him i had to pled to the police to let to situation ly. any way i am babling a bit now so i will get to the point. WE LOVE YOU FRED! and will miss you dearly R.I.P. forever n always we will see you soon x mwah x x x xx x x x ami, carly, kym, beth remember you are in our hearts x x x
3. Tracy. Are you even aware of something called ‘the welfare state’ and ’social services’? You seem to begrudge the fact that ‘your taxes’ will give Fred will receive a decent and dignified burial - something we are ALL entitled to. He has no estate or relatives so how would he pay? Perhaps you could start a whip round maybe? Organise the church service? Arrange for burial?
Let’s just hope that when you’re alone, old and vulnerable you never need to use social services and no one abandons you!
like many others nobody knew him but we all know OF him
let him rest in peace now its all hes ever wanted is to be left alone and hes off to a much better place now as he deserves
best of luck josef we know your looking down on us now thanking us
we will always remember him now he as gone to a better place which he deserves to be in god bless josef
In practice the local authority is obliged to pay for the funeral. It is not an act of charity. It is a matter of public health. Perhaps the individual who posted a sarcastic response above would prefer his body to be left to rot on the island he occupied?
I guess many people would be happy to donate towards his funeral. Lets give the guy a fanfare!
What sad news, I also used to look out for him on the island when I was younger, he will be sadly missed around Wolverhampton. He’s in a much safer place now named “paradise”, take Care Fred.
As for the message from Tracy above, just hope that you don’t need any support from the state in the future. If Fred did have family, i’m sure they would have been around for him years ago!
Yes, he deserves a wonderful funeral and a permanent tribute under his tree on the ringroad.
Some are saying that the Council is only doing this as a publicity stunt and because there’s an election looming..
fred wot can i say.u r good man r.i.p fred
I must intervene in this matter.If Fred was, and i say was a WW11 Veteran then he should be Entitled to a Military Funeral.I do hope that he will be treated with dignity.Charles Haig Chaplain U S A
Tracy you obviously don’t have a heart, how could you deny this ledgened a funeral. lots of people will miss seeing him so lets hope that they do give him a permament tribute by his tree for us to remember him by.
You are all Right about Tracys comments its disgusting given that Fred has given the community so much in his own way. Im a taxpayer and do not begrudge a penny to the fund to give him a proper funeral with all who want to go invited. What a fitting tribute that would be to Fred!
Fred………..I remember that days when you had tha satellite dish outside your tent. Another icon gone form Wolverhampton…but never forgotten…RIP
way to go Fred rest in peace x x
Fred would have been entitled to a pension had he not lived the way he chose.
I have read elsewhere that this continued to be paid into an account for him but was never touched , Im sure that that will easily cover both his funeral and a memorial .
So no need to worry Tracy your moneys safe and its also highly likely that Fred never claimed anything from the state / system during his life despite him working and paying taxes etc before changing his lifestyle.
Fred obviously gave a lot more than he ever took off the system , the little that he wanted out of life was always provided by well wishers.
I dont expect one of those well wishers to have been Tacy , but thats the whole point Fred was against thoughtless blinkered selfishness and over indulging and would not hwve wanted anything off people with those thoughts .
A legend, an icon of our city!
He will be truly missed, the amount of bulletins on my myspace paying respects for him is crazy.
I lost count of the number of times i would see him sweeping up the leaves on the island and admire the way he refused to be given a home despite being offered one by the council.
R.I.P Josef
Im one for the memorial on the ring road for him and for others to pay their respects!
xx
i am really sad about fred i am 25 years old now and from when i was a little girl we always use to see fred out sweeping around his tent he was rare- a good part of wolverhampton unfortunately we have now lost him for those who believe that his funeral should not be funded lets just hope you never need any help he was a 87 year old man he never troubled anyone he just wanted to live his way he deserves a funeral yes and some sort of memorial when i drove past today saw his tent gone and all flowers i froze i felt close to him despite not knowin him i hope he rests peacefully miss him x
Tracy, thank you for the voice of common sense among all the sentimental claptrap I’ve read in the last couple of days! If someone chooses to live outside of society, why should society pick up the pieces (and the bill!) when they’re gone?!
Now, what else could we waste our local taxes once this brouhaha has died down….? I know, let’s all storm the Civic Centre to demand that the asylum seekers in the city centre have a great Christmas!
RIP Fred. we will miss you.
Jane and Danni
WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE LIVING OUTSIDE HERE IN PARIS THAT THIS FELLOW IN WOLVERHAMPTON WAS A STORY I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR A LONG TIME. YOU CAN BE RICH.YOU CAN BE POOR. AN ”ACCIDENT OF LIFE” AND ANYONE JUST ANYONE CAN END UP LIVING LIKE THAT. SEE WITH AUGUSTIN LEGRAND AND ALL THOSE GUYS HERE THAT WERE LIVING IN DECATHLON TENTS DOWN BY THE CANAL ST. MARTIN PLUS THE LOADS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN SHANTY TOWNS OR ON RAILWAY EMBANKMENTS OR EVEN (PLACE DE STALINGRAD) UNDER THE ARCHES OPPOSITE POSH RESTAURANTS.BE IT WITH AYNUK AND AYLI OR HERE BY THE EIFFEL TOWER LIFE CAN BE ROUGH;
A KIND THOUGHT FOR ALL LIKE HIM FROM PARIS. RIP.
I will sadly miss Josef as he was a part of Wolverhampton. Goodbye Jo
All of us shall MISS YOU Josef !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i never actually new u jo but i heard of u i will miss u loads hope he looks after you up in the sky r.i.p jo ther should b something we can remember him by on the ring road where he lived all theese years xxxxxxxxxxx
This man is someone who I have always heard of. I am now 21 and having driven past his tent with my parents on various occasions as a child, I always asked questions about him. I do not know Josef but am sad to hear of his death. I think it is awful that people are being so horrible all because his funeral will be paid for by the council. Have a heart!! A memorial where his tent used to be is a great idea, he will be sadly missed by everyone. Rest In Peace x x
Fred it is a shame u have past away, and i’m sure you will be dearly missed by the whole of wolverhamtpon my family always thought of you as a legend and always will, you was a good man often cleaning the community it will be unfortunate not to see you anymore fred,
Take care friend you was a character R.I.P Josef Stawinoga
RIP fred you will be dearly missed my friend.the ring road will never be the same.a true wolverhampton legend
The rather sad comments made by Tracy on this site and the dark and spiteful side of humanity from which they emanate are the best reason of all why this good man should have a fitting tribute and a permanent memorial in the city .When Tracy meets her maker perhaps we could consider a statue of a large thick wallet being placed outside the civic centre to commemerate her services to herself .
to be honest tracy, he might have chose to live like that, but that was his life, and it’s clear from reading the majourity of these comments, that he made a difference to other peoples lives. and for that, we should be greatful, and give him what he deserves.
just because he chose to live that way, shouldn’t mean he has to loose his dignity at the end of it. he has every right to a decent service, even if it is out of tax payers money.
RIP Fred, you will be missed.
im sad after the pass away and hope that u r safe
x
hey sue i think youll find the asylum seekers will have a good crimbo,thanks to your tax payers money and as a benefit claiming person i thank you and tracy for keeping me in the lifestyle im accustomed to…R.I.P. fred the rat race never got ya..
I recently moved to dubai and read the story on the e and s website. god bless the old man, i think it says a hell of a lot for our city and her people the amount of respect and fondness we have for fred. i would love to see a statue of him erected on the exact spot where his tent was, maybe with a broom in hand so we can all remember and pass on the legend to our grandchildren. need i say more - thankyou fred for the memory of you and all you stood for.
I don’t see anything wrong with the council paying for his funeral,as aleready said, its a health issue, and i’m sure there would have been enough complaints if he was left there to rott?
He chose this life and for that i can only wonder why. He deserves a send off.
The state pays for the Queens funeral, yet no one monas, so whether rich or poor, we all are entitled to a decent send off.
God bless you Fred.
What a great loss to Wolverhampton, he was almost a part of Wolverhampton and his loss to us will be felt by all. Ring Road will never be the same, neither will Wolverhampton. I agree with most of the comments above, definately a big statue of him with his broom should be erected with a plaque saying some things about him. This will be seen for generations to come, as I saw him when I was young and my parents, it will become a symbol and feature in Wolverhampton! I beg and humbly request the Wolverhampton Council to erect this statue and memorial for him!
R.I.P. JOSEPH - We will never forget you!
(P.S. Anyone know when the funeral is going to be and where can we donate for his funeral as well as memorial?)