A COMMUNITY came together to celebrate the short life of a popular young Rhuddlan man who had “so much to live for”.
More than 500 mourners packed into St Mary’s Church, Rhuddlan, for the funeral of Anthony Burke, who died on Christmas Eve last year after being allegedly stabbed following a snowball fight.
The 20-year old’s death shook Rhuddlan and the surrounding area, but Anthony’s many friends and loving family members were determined to make his funeral a day of celebration and remember the joy he had brought to the world.
Many mourners wore bright colours in the late January cold and a large crowd of Anthony’s friends donned celebratory white T-shirts, containing a smiling picture of their beloved mate with the simple message of R.I.P. ANTS.
A group of the friends helped carry Anthony’s coffin into church to the strains of The Scientist by Coldplay, after joining a dignified procession from his home on Clos y Berllan.
The funeral was led by Rev Gareth Griffiths, vicar of Rhuddlan, who spoke of how the community was continuing to mourn Anthony.
He said: “We are all gathered here because of a terrible tragedy. The events of that night affected the lives of many and Rhuddlan is still a community in mourning.
“Anthony was a young man with so much to live for. Today we give him the dignity he was robbed of in his sudden death.”
A series of moving floral tributes were on display, one of the most touching coming from Anthony’s parents, Cindy and Tony.
Next to a large tribute spelling out the word SON, they wrote on a colourful card: “Our hearts will always be with you. Good nite and God bless, my gorgeous, beautiful, son. Mum + Dad xxx”
A similar floral tribute said ANT in large pink and white colouring, with another moving message coming from Anthony’s brother Ged, a pallbearer at the service.
He wrote: “To Ant. Simply love you and miss you. Never forgotten. Love you bro, Ged.”
Many of the young men Anthony played football with followed the coffin into church, and his love of the sport was celebrated in the shape of a striking black and white football floral tribute.