Dunmow residents and traders lined the town’s high street to pay respects to the manager of a long-standing family business.
The funeral for Nigel May, a business director at department store May & Brett who died aged 63, was held on Friday.
More than 150 people erupted into applause as the funeral cortege, which paused outside May & Brett in the early afternoon, continued its progress.
Julian May, Nigel's brother, said: "It was the most wonderful send off I could have imagined for Nigel. The family feel so proud and honoured that everyone thought so much of him. I've never experienced anything like that or seen anything similar happen in 40 years of working in Dunmow."
Nigel worked at the business for 49 years, serving as shop floor manager, company secretary and business director.
He joined the business at 15 as a Saturday boy and started full-time when he was 16.
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