Family pays tribute to popular Newark angler and former pub landlord Pete Willis

A family has paid tribute to a much-loved Balderton angler and former pub landlord.

Pete Willis, 65, died on January 21, leaving his wife Linda, sons Sam and Rob, daughter Emma, and five grandchildren.

His family have said that his life revolved around fishing and horse racing - two of his biggest passions, which he passed on to his family.

Pete started fishing with his dad at six years old, and continued all his life, being a member of a lot of different clubs, but mainly the New Inn Angling Club in Newark.

He met Linda on a ferry on the way to Denmark when he was going on a fishing holiday and Linda, of London, was going on holiday.

They were married for 43 years. Linda said: “He spoke to everybody, he liked his horses and a lot of fishing.

“He was always out and about and when our daughter Emma was born, he was actually on the front cover of Angling Times.”

Pete even paid off the family house’s mortgage by winning fishing matches and betting on horses, which he was lucky at both.

He used to fish for the New Inn and, as a regular at the pub for a beer, or a game of darts, football, or just for the company, Mr Willis decided he wanted to run a pub.

Without any experience in hospitality or being a pub landlord, he used his skills of ‘talking to anyone’ and passion for ‘fishing and beer’ and took over the pub for 11 years.

His son Rob, 35, said: “There were always British pop songs playing on the jukebox and the pub was always packed at the weekend.

“It was one of the busiest pubs in Newark in the 90s and I remember we used to have drums for bands to play and he used to wind all the neighbours up, but people used to love it.”

“One of my best memories was when we had the barbeques in summer, my dad would do massive barbecues in the pub’s garden and invite everyone and their children, we used to have a really good time.

“He was very sociable and a little bit stubborn at times and out of all the hundreds of fishing matches he didn’t win, there was always a reason why he didn’t win — he would always blame someone or something else,” the family laughed.

Younger son Sam, 32, has followed his dad's footsteps when it comes to fishing and attends competitions all over Europe, and will now take over the fishing club that his dad was running.

After Pete retired five years ago, Sam took over his dad’s oven cleaning company of 17 years, Ovenut, but Pete would still help out.

His daughter Emma, 37, said that he was a really good grandad and that despite not wanting to be a grandad as he claimed to be “too young”, he was said to have completely changed once they were born.

Known in the town market for several reasons and loved by many, pubs and friends, his family said they will also miss the one who always used to drink alcohol-free beer — Ghost Ship.

Sam added: “Everyone who knows him, who went for a drink with him or anything, they had to sell Ghost Ship and some landlords would even buy just a crate of it for him.

“People would just buy it just for him and say that even if he didn't drink it to take it home.

“People cared for him and he did help other people out as well but the older he got, the more mellow he got, but he was a funny guy, everyone had a good laugh with him.

“I know a lot of the fishermen in Newark and even the dog walkers and obviously the racing people as he used to have a lot of tips, they're all going to miss him.”

A date is yet to be arranged for the funeral.