11:10am Friday 5th June 2009
By Alison Sanders
HE LOVED Doctor Who, Star Wars and Ghostbusters - so Crumlin man Seb Neale's friends and family thought it was only natural that his funeral service should reflect his passion for science fiction.
At an unusual service to celebrate his life at Gwent Crematorium yesterday, around 250 mourners remembered a man whose resemblance to Doctor Who star David Tennant was uncanny.
The 26-year-old's love for the popular sci-fi show Doctor Who was mirrored at his funeral with the Tardis theme playing as the curtains closed and his coffin was seen for the last time.
Even Mr Neale’s coffin was made to look like something from the programme after friends designed it to look life the Tardis, complete with a blue flashing light.
The Star Wars theme tune played as the coffin and mourners made their way into the crematorium and the Ghostbusters theme played as the mourners made their way out.
Special orders of service were created filled with a dedication from his family, quotes from his favourite television shows and films and various photos of Mr Neale taken across his life.
The front cover was specially designed to reflect the Doctor Who show titles with Mr Neale in a Doctor Who pose next to the timelord’s famous police box.
The back cover shows how his love for Ghostbusters was as real as an adult as it was when he was a child with photos of him in the Ghostbusters costume when he was both eight and 25.
At yesterday’s funeral, mourners heard how some of Mr Neale’s happiest times were spent making film prop replicas in the garage.
This included Ghostbuster proton packs, a fully functioning Landspeeder and a lifesize model of the R2D2 from Star Wars complete with lights and sound.
Mr Neale’s friend Mike Chandler spoke at the service.
He said: “It was his individuality that made him stand out from the crowds.
“He was my best friend and like a brother to me. Growing up with Seb was a privilege.”
Speaking at the service, civil celebrant Gill Fortescue, described Mr Neale as a unique individual who was very loyal to his friends.
She said: “Seb could be eccentric and stubborn but there is no question that he was a very intelligent and creative man.”
She added: “Jenny and Steve have lost a son whose life was sometimes a challenge but who was always so deeply loved and appreciated for being himself, an extraordinary, unique gentleman. A true one-off exclusive.”
Mr Neale, who had Apserger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, died on Sunday, May 17, after hitting his head at his Oakland Terrace home.
Service carried Dr Who quotes
The order of service included the following quotes from the Doctor in the Doctor Who series.
* “One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs, and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye.”
* “Sometimes, my brilliance astonishes even me.”
* “There’s no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”
* “A Time Lord has to do what a Time Lord has to do.”
