Halloween theme for Trisha’s funeral

WITCHES, wizards and vampires paid their respects to a woman who adored Halloween parties.

A ‘spooktacular’ array of people dressed up in horror themed outfits were among the mourners at the funeral of popular Gledholt mum Trisha Field who recently died of cancer aged 59.

Trisha, who was legendary for hosting huge Halloween parties, said it was her dying wish was for her friends and family to mark her passing by dressing in scary costumes at her funeral.

About 20 people took her up on her final request, attending Huddersfield Crematorium dressed as witches, wizards and even Freddy Krueger from iconic horror flick Nightmare on Elm Street.

Michele Hancock, a friend of Trisha’s who dressed as a witch complete with full bright green make up, said Trisha would have cackled like a witch herself if she was looking down on mourners assembling in fancy dress.

“That was Trisha,” she said. “I remember her laughing all the time. We’ve laughed ‘til we’ve cried.”

Dawn Johnson, who attended dressed as iconic horror slasher Freddy Krueger, said: “She hosted the most fantastic Halloween parties going. “You wouldn’t go to one like it. “It took her weeks to dress the house, she spent hours and hours on it.”

Tracey Doyle, 46, of Marsh, was a close friend who paid tribute to Trisha by dressing in a gothic vampire style.

“Her parties used to be absolutely amazing,” she said. “She used to be very well known for it.

“She used to do her house up and she had things brought over from America, like lifesized models.

“She loved dressing up in general but it was mainly Halloween that she loved.

“And she loved hosting parties – she had New Year’s Eve parties – any excuse to host a party.

“I know this is what she wanted, it was one of her requests before she passed away.

“I think she would be laughing, she would have loved it.”

A group of former colleagues from Trisha’s employer, Travel Counsellors in Manchester, also honoured her last request by dressing as witches and wizards. Former colleague Pam Charnley said: “Trisha was particularly fond of Halloween; she used to have parties and raise money from them.

“We asked her when we visited her before she passed away what she would like at her funeral and she said she’d like us to dress as witches and wizards.”

“She wanted our CEO to come dressed as a gorilla,” added Gail Herring.

“Then she said I want you all to come as witches, you think I’m joking but I’m being deadly serious.”

Friend Linden Wilcockson, who wore a ghost costume, added: “I think it should be a celebration of her life as she was such a fun person so it’s great to fulfil her wishes.”

Trisha, who before she became a travel agent, worked in the Royal Swan, the former Gemini nightclub and the Dog and Gun in Huddersfield, featured in the Examiner a number of times, including last November when she raised hundreds of pounds for charity in memory of a close friend of hers, David Ellam from Sheepridge, who was savaged to death by a dog outside his home in 2016.