The spirit of Sir Tom to ‘live on’
THE family of Captain Sir Tom Moore have paid tribute to the veteran and NHS charity fundraiser at his funeral, saying his ‘message and his spirit lives on’.
Sir Tom’s coffin, draped in a union flag, was carried to the crematorium yesterday by soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment while a Second World War-era C-47 Dakota performed a flypast.
This was followed by a firing party of 14 each firing three rounds in unison before a small service got underway.
The service, at Bedford Crematorium, was attended by eight members of Sir Tom’s immediate family – his two daughters Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, four grandchildren and his sonsin-law – all wearing masks.
His daughter Ms Teixeira, 52, paid tribute to Sir Tom, who captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown when he walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before his 100th birthday, raising more than £32 million for the NHS.
She said: “Daddy, you always told us ‘best foot forward’ and true to your word that’s what you did last year, raising a fortune for the NHS.
“Daddy, I am so proud of you, what you achieved your whole live and especially in the last year. You may be gone but your message and your spirit lives on.”