On The Buses actor Stephen Lewis dies aged 88

Lewis’s niece Rebecca told the press that the actor remained in “high spirits” in his last days, adding: “He was always singing and joking”.

His family said he passed peacefully away in the early hours of Wednesday in an east London care home.

He also appeared as Clem “Smiler” Hemmingway in more than 130 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, starting in 1988 and continuing until 2007.

“He still had his sense of humour, very much so”, said Rashid Ebrahimkhan, manager of the Cambridge Nursing Home.

Born in Poplar in east London, Lewis got his start at the Theatre Royal Stratford East under director Joan Littlewood.

On The Buses actor died peacefully aged 88 [Rex].

His nephew Peter Lewis added: “I’ll remember him as being a amusing man”.

Stephen Lewis has died [Getty].

Ebrahimkhan added: “He was very resilient until the last”. So pleased we worked together on The Krays.

Alongside a picture of her uncle. she wrote: “Sadly my uncle “Blakey” Stephen Lewis passed away yesterday”.

Blakey was usually outwitted by wily bus driver Stan Butler, played by Reg Varney, and his retort, “I’ll get you for this, Butler” was a catchphrase of the show, which also starred Bob Grant as randy Jack Harper.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday 25 August at Our Lady Of Lourdes church in Wanstead.

Gary Kemp tweeted that Lewis was “a big part of my childhood and a gentleman to work with”.