DOZENS of loved ones gathered this week say goodbye to an ‘amazing and inspirational woman’ in a fitting farewell featuring a horse drawn carriage and an impromptu rendition of the Time Warp.
Andrèa Campbell, 34, passed away earlier this month after a five-year battle with cancer – but not before planning a celebration to savour for those attending her funeral.
On Wednesday afternoon, friends and family from near and far were treated to the first of a number of surprises in what her mother, Beverley, said she had branded her ‘fun-eral’.
The first surprise was the reveal of Andrèa’s custom-made coffin – a Beetlejuice-themed black and white design bedecked with bouquets of flowers.
She was then taken to Charlton Park Crematorium in a horse drawn carriage, before entering the crematorium building to Harry Belafonte’s ‘Shake Senora’.
Friends and family shared memories of Andrèa during the service. From her early days playing sport, her time riding horses - including her beloved Jake - and her later years visiting London where she was heavily involved with the Slimelight scene.
A bill of songs selected by Andrèa, including ‘What It Is’ by Jonathan Davis and ‘Hold on to Memories’ by Disturbed, was also shared.
And there was still time for one final surprise as Adam Burrows, manager at S&J Maddocks funeral directors and a friend with whom Andrèa had planned her send-off, invited everyone to join in with a performance of the Time Warp.
Mum Beverley paid tribute to her daughter during an interview with the Advertiser earlier this month.
“She was somebody who lived for life,” she said.
“She went all around the world, she travelled, she has friends all over. She was just the life and soul of the party.
“It’s incredible how many people she knew and how many people she touched. She was just a fun loving girl who touched a lot of hearts. And she fought hard. She had three lots of trying to get better, but it just didn’t work for her.”
After being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2015, Andrèa discovered she had an incredibly rare blood type, sparking a worldwide search for a blood donor.
She eventually had a bone marrow transplant and had been undergoing clinical trials for the cancer, but when it returned for a third time she was told it was terminal.
Beverley added: “The doctors said she would die within hours but she held on for another four days.
“She was a fighter all the way - five years that girl fought for.
“She just couldn’t carry on. She was in so much pain.
“She was well-loved and she’s left a lot of people very heartbroken.”
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