A TRAGIC death brought together the people of Tunbridge Wells in a send-off for Frazer Allan last week, as friends, family and businesses turned out for the 30-year-old’s funeral and wake.
The young man was found dead near Tunbridge Wells Railway Station early on the morning of May 11, an event that sparked an outpouring of shock.
On June 8, hundreds of people gathered outside St Mark’s Church in Broadwater Down to say their final goodbyes, followed by a family service at the crematorium, and then a public wake.
Mourners at St Mark’s greeted the arrival of Frazer’s coffin by a carriage pulled by two black horses, which was then carried into the church by family and friends.
A friend of Frazer’s, who was in attendance at the funeral, told the Times: “When a piper played while they carried his coffin inside, it was really touching for everyone there.”
The service was attended by close to 300 people, including Frazer’s parents, sisters and uncle, and was led by the Reverend Claire Allwood.
In a public post on Facebook, Frazer’s sister Paige paid tribute to her brother, thanking all of those who had come out to honour him, and to those who had set up a GoFundMe campaign to help the family cover the funeral expenses.
“What a truly amazing send-off for my big brother Frazer Allan. We hope we have done you proud,” she wrote.
“Yesterday was so tough but it was amazing to see how loved you truly were.”
Paige also thanked everyone who donated to the GoFundMe, and friends who had offered assistance in kind, including helping with the orders of service for both funerals, and making food.
Friends had also offered to do hair and makeup for the bereaved family, and a family friend had made Frazer’s flowers.
She also thanked those who shown “endless love and support” for her and the family.
Friends had organised additional remembrances for her brother, she added, including a balloon release, wristbands, memorial videos and special ‘Frazer Allan’ cocktails in memory of the fun-loving young man.
Thanking Cassidy’s on Castle Street and The Bedford at the top of the High Street, near Vale Road, for accommodating mourners for the wake, Paige said: “To all the staff, you lot are truly amazing.”
Responding to the public reaction to her brother’s death, Paige urged people not to let the outpouring of support fade out.
“Please remember to check in on your friends and family, to tell them you love them each day and please live life to the fullest. In a world [where] you can be anything, be kind.”
An inquest into Frazer’s death will be held in September.
