FINAL FAREWELL TO BRAVE ROSS
FRIENDS and family of Ross Blair have bid a loving farewell to the dad of two who battled for years with a terminal brain tumour.
His funeral was held at Nuneaton Crematorium and featured heartwarming tributes from family members, including his wife, TV actress Holly Matthews, his dad, former Aston Villa footballer Andy Blair, and his brother, Doncaster Rovers winger Matty Blair.
His sister Ashley and mother Dionne also honoured the 32-year-old who died on July 29 after a three-year battle with a rare grade four brain cancer.
Ross’s coffin was painted blue and white – the colours of his favourite team, Sheffield Wednesday.
It was carried inside by a group clad in Sheffield Wednesday shirts with ‘Blair’ and the number 18 on the back.
Those attending his funeral wore football shirts in his honour – at the request of Holly, who has campaigned to raise awareness of brain tumours and helped to raise thousands for Myton Hospice, which cared for Ross until the end.
Holly has created a JustGiving page to raise funds for the Myton Hospices which has so far passed the £11,000 mark.
Ross and Holly had two children – Brooke, six, and Texas, four.
Speaking during the funeral, Holly said: “We spent our lives laughing together. Our mantra has always been ‘whatever it takes.’
“I will do that now with our girls. To many he’s just the opinionated joker, but to me he’s the man who lay on my side of the bed to make it warm before I got in.
“He’s the man who took care of me and bought me little gifts and always gushed about me. We were never bored of each other.
“Ross was my every day. He loved our girls so much and was the best dad.
“I have lost my best friend. He said so much to me over the years. But one saying is ‘if I die tomorrow I will have done everything I wanted.’”
Brother Matty said that Ross “always looked out for him”.
He added: “Before I was even born he tried to take control of my life and told my parents to call me Popeye.
“After a football awards night I wasn’t old enough to be drinking and it was Ross who gave me some clothes and said ‘You are coming out with us.’
“Little did I know that he had also got in touch with our mum to say her youngest baby was out on the town drinking!”
His mum Dionne said: “Ross always wanted to be a millionaire by the age of 30.
“He was never going to work too hard as he would never do a nine to five job.
“When asked why he hadn’t achieved it, he always said he had achieved it by marrying Holly and having two beautiful daughters.
“Ross said he had become a millionaire by the beautiful family he had.”
His dad Andy said: “Ross was a very real man. From a very, very proud dad.”