MY LOVE FOR YOU WILL NEVER FADE
Widow of PC killed on duty pays tribute at funeral
He lost his life in the line of duty on an ordinary call-out that ended in tragedy four weeks after he married her.
Yesterday PC andrew Harper’s widow paid tribute to him at his funeral as she said: ‘My lovely boy, I miss you more and more as the days pass into weeks, my love for you will never fade, the sound of your laugh will stay with me.’
Lissie Harper spoke of the childhood sweetheart who grew to be the love of her life, her hero who was ‘the kindest of kind and sweetest of sweet’.
tears welled in the eyes of many among the 800 mourners at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford – and many more in an overspill church to which the service was broadcast – as she added: ‘If everyone on this earth had just an ounce of the kindness and gen-erosity that andrew had, I know that it would be a better place.’
PC Harper, 28, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, was dragged under a van while responding to a burglary on the outskirts of sul-hamstead, Berkshire, on august 15. three teenagers have been charged with his murder.
Before yesterday’s service, officers and members of the public lined the streets as the funeral cortege, led by mounted officers of PC Harper’s force, thames Valley Police, processed through the city.
six uniformed officers carried PC Harper’s coffin, draped in a navy blue flag with the police crest on the sides, into the cathedral. Mrs Harper then placed her late husband’s cere-monial police hat on the coffin.
In her tribute, Mrs Harper’s undying love for her husband was evident.
‘From the ever sweet, lanky, red faced boy passing me notes in class, to the strong and loyal man you grew to be,’ she said, ‘I have always known how special you are.
‘We often talked about how lucky we were to have found and kept each other, true childhood sweethearts, loving one another more and more with each pass-ing day. not a day went past that we didn’t say I love you.
‘You used to tell me we were a team and that we would get through all of life’s hurdles together, how I wish you were here with me now. the hardest challenge of all is losing you.’
she added: ‘I’ve never known anyone so kind, worry free, for-giving, positive and good as our andrew... He was my hero and his spirit will live on in my mem-ories for ever.’
PC Harper’s parents Phil and debbie and his brother sean were among the congregation.
the dean of Christ Church, the Very rev Professor Martyn Percy, said: ‘He represented policing at its best. He was eve-rything you wanted in a police officer. andrew was brave, authentic, genuine and kind.
‘no one ever anticipates an ordinary call-out ending in such tragedy.’
He added that PC Harper was ‘part of that thin blue line that holds and binds our communi-ties together’.
‘He represented policing at its best’