Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Quayside Operative Luc Raes with the dedication of a memorial bench.

Luc joined the quayside team in Douglas in 2002 and worked with the Steam Packet Company until his death in December last year, aged 51. He is survived by his wife Marie, their two children and a stepson.

Born in Knokke, Belgium, Luc worked as a docker in Zeebrugge for 10 years before moving to the Isle of Man in 1998. After spending time as a barman and then a scaffolder he joined the Steam Packet Company, quickly becoming a popular figure among fellow workers and passengers.

His quayside colleagues decided to remember their friend by buying a bench with an inscribed plaque paying tribute to Luc. The bench has now been placed in the marshalling area at the Sea Terminal, Douglas, with the permission of the Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure.

Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘This is a great tribute to Luc, whose always-cheery disposition made him very popular with colleagues and passengers alike. We all remember him with fondness, and this memorial reflects the esteem in which he was held.’

Photo - Colleagues of Isle of Man Steam Packet Company quayside worker Luc Raes with the bench installed at the Sea Terminal in his memory.