Flying-themed funeral is perfect for Spitfire-loving Derbyshire great-granddad Dan

When Dan Taylor, from Belper, died from coronavirus aged 87, his family was naturally heartbroken, especially as they hadn’t been able to visit him in his care home before his death.

But at the time, funeral restrictions meant that only ten people could attend the service.

So the family was determined to make sure his funeral was a memorable occasion and worked with Co-op Funeralcare in Mansfield to create a memorable send-off that would honour the former RAF pilot.

They selected a coffin that was decorated with pictures of Spitfires and placed an aviator jacket and a pair of flying goggles on top of the coffin.

The father of four, grandfather of six, and great grandfather to two had an adventurous life including becoming a movie star in 1955 after his RAF squadron featured as extras in epic war film, The Dam Busters.

In the 1980s, Dan flew the survivors of the raid over Derwent Dam, where they trained, in a helicopter and became an honorary member of the 617 squadron.

An image of Dan on the set of The Dam Busters with the cast and crew featured on the order of service and the theme from the film was used as the entry music.

Anne Edgar, Dan’s daughter, said: “After dad passed away, we couldn’t go to the care home to sort through his things, go into the funeral home to arrange his service face-to-face, or do any of the things that would normally help when dealing with the loss of a close family member.

“The funeral was our first chance to get a sense of closure, so it was really important to us that despite everything happening around us, the service would feel special and ensure it was a fitting tribute to dad’s amazing life.”

The service was broadcast live and available to watch for 28 days for those who were sadly unable to attend due to Covid-related restrictions.

Jim Edgar, Dan’s grandson, said: “One of the last things granddad said to me was that he wished he’d owned a Spitfire.

"In the 70s the Spanish air force was selling them off cheap and although he did purchase a Harvard, he wished he’d spent a little extra.

"The personalised coffin was a Spitfire, so he finally got his wish.

"Although his funeral was in lockdown, we were still able to make it very special and personal to him and the family.”

Rebecca Edgar, Dan’s granddaughter-in-law, is a funeral arranger at Co-op Funeralcare in Mansfield and was able to work with her family to achieve a personalised and fitting service.

She said: “Working on the funeral of someone you know and love dearly is especially difficult, but being able to support people when they’ve had a loss is one of the most rewarding things about the job.

"We love learning more about loved ones and making every service as special as it possibly can be.”

After the service, the family held a wake for Dan on the Houseparty social networking app, which meant that family and friends were able to socialise, raise a glass, and celebrate his life.