Bournemouth builder and VW enthusiast Martin Cocorachio dies

Martin Cocorachio, from Kinson, who has been described as a 'wonderful brother' and family man, has passed away from cancer at age 64.

Martin and his identical twin brother, who he worked with all his life, set up a building company specialising in tiling and flooring called P&M Cocorachio.

Martin's twin brother Paul said: "We have always done everything together.

"When we were in school, people couldn't tell us apart so that we would swap classes. And then when we left, we worked together right until he died."

Martin died on March 3 after a long battle with oesophageal cancer.

Paying tribute to his twin, Paul said: "All I can say is he was a wonderful brother, and he will be deeply missed.

"He had a great sense of humour; he liked to laugh. But most of all, he loved his family.

"His wife Erica and his daughter Gina couldn't have done a better job of looking after him in his final months."

Martin was a loving husband, father of four and granddad. 

Paul said he and his brother shared many hobbies, including restoring cars, rugby, and boxing, but they especially loved VW campervans.

Paul said: "Over the years, we have restored easily over 10 cars.

"We've done two Ford Cortina's a VW truck; Martin did a VW Beetle for his son and a campervan for his daughter."

He had a collection of vintage cars, including a Split-Screen campervan, a Golf MK1, an orange T25 Panel Van, a T25 pickup truck, a Trekker and a Beetle.

When Martin got into the VW scene, he bought a 1962 Volkswagen Split Screen, which he converted into a campervan.

His green and white VW Split Screen was awarded the winning campervan at Wimborne's Dub at The Pub festival in 2021.

Martin and Paul enjoyed camping and would visit The Vintage Nostalgia Festival in Warminster every year. This event celebrates the recent past from the 1890s to the 1980s, including classic cars, vintage fashion, antiques, dance, and live music.

A funeral service for Martin is scheduled to take place on March 21 at Bournemouth Crematorium at 11am.

All his family will be driving his collection of vehicles in a convoy to the crematorium.

Paul will drive his twin to the funeral in his award-winning green and white VW camper.