Heartfelt tributes poured in for a dad of two with a 'cheeky smile' who was found dead in his car. Dave Cresswell, 41, headed out to work on April 4 at the Co-op in Shirebrook, over the Derbyshire border.
Unfortunately, he never made it to the store and was found unresponsive in the car park. He was given CPR before being taken to King's Mill Hospital.
Mr Cresswell, also described by close friends as a 'big teddy bear', was then transferred to Nottingham City Hospital'S critical care unit where he passed away on April 9.
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The dad of two was born in Forest Town and moved to Mansfield Woodhouse. He leaves behind his two children Joshua, aged 12, Rhys, aged ten, and wife Gemma Cresswell. His friends described the tragedy as a "shock".
His best friend, Steven Colley, told Nottinghamshire Live: "He was going to start work that day. Obviously he drove to work and his boss found him in the actual car park.
"They performed CPR on him and got his heart back going again. But he did not wake up.
"He just got his heart back going after the cardiac arrest. He was never able to say his goodbyes to his family because he was on life support."
Mr Colley went to see his best friend at the hospital before the bank holiday weekend. "We managed to say our goodbyes, but again, he was not awake. It was just shocking and heartbreaking."
The two best friends grew up together in Mansfield, having known each other since the age of four. "We have been best friends and we were inseparable when we were younger."
And their friendship continued later in their lives as Mr Cresswell was his best man at his wedding, and then becoming godfather to Mr Colley's daughter . "And then I was best man at his wedding two years ago", the heartbroken friend recalled.
"A couple of days before he passed away, we saw his children in the waiting room and you just do not know what to say to them. It is not good to lose a parent at that age."
He described Mr Cresswell as a "friendly, cheeky guy" who was "always there if you needed him". "He had a cheeky smile. I remember we were spending an awful lot of time together when we were children, and then drunk and mishaps when we were in our early 20s before we started having children.
"We did not spend as much time as we should have done in the last decade because of families or things that get in the way. We still managed to meet up on birthdays and special occasions. We have got a lifetime of memories."
The devastated friend said his loss "still does not seem real". He added: "We miss him."
Mr Colley's wife, Laura, 37, added: "He was a big teddy bear. Dave and my husband were lifelong friends.
"They were more like brothers than friends. I have known him for more than 20 years now so he has been a big part of my life too."
Shane Reeves, Co-op Store Manager, Shirebrook, said: “Speaking for myself and the whole team we are all devastated and in shock by the sudden and unexpected loss of Dave.
"He worked for Co-op for over twenty years, and he was really popular and much loved by us, his colleagues but also by our customers and the community. No words can really help ease his family’s loss, and our thoughts and sympathies are very much with Gemma and their boys at this incredibly difficult time.”
Mr Colley has set up a fundraising page for Mr Cresswell's family. The family also wanted to raise awareness about donations for the critical care unit at the Nottingham City Hospital.
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