Tributes flow at funeral

IAIN MCGREGOR/Waikato Times

HONOUR GUARD: Waikato hockey players form a guard of honour for Ben Gilby-Todd, whose funeral took place at Ngaruawahia High School yesterday.

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Surrounded by family and friends, Ben Gilby-Todd made it home for his 24th birthday yesterday.

More than 700 people filled Ngaruawahia High School's school hall and outdoor courtyard to celebrate the life of the former Waikato University student killed in a motorcycle accident in Croatia on October 8.

In a touching ceremony, which the family chose to hold at the Ngaruawahia High School because of their connection to the community, tributes and laughter flowed as freely as the tears.

Family friend Sue Saunders read out a tender and touching letter that mother Jan had written to her son after his death.

"Those close to you knew you were special," she read.

She spoke of a "beautiful, easy baby" who took his first steps at Mystery Creek, took a job at a Horotiu panelbeaters at the age of 11, and won a primary school speech contest with a speech about Sir Edmund Hillary, who would become a life-long hero.

She had packed the cue cards for the Sir Ed speech into her son's suitcase as he left for the United Kingdom.

"I wonder where they are now," she said.

Jan recalled his love of judo, "a particular dent in the dishwasher door as you flung me over your shoulder," and the family's pride at Ben's academic achievements. He gained a Business Management degree at Waikato University as a Hillary Scholar.

"You were so proud to be a Hillary scholar and we were so proud of you."

Ben was also a gifted sportsman, playing representative hockey and winning a New Zealand secondary schools judo belt in 2001.

Jan travelled to London in May, where she met her son, and shared a special memory of them drinking a bottle of wine in London's Hyde Park, talking about Ben's aspirations and dreams, which included becoming a father.

"However none of your aspirations will be realised," Ms Saunders read. "We are all so very proud of your short life. You'll never be forgotten."

The service was streamed live over the internet so Ben's friends in London could watch the ceremony.

Jenny Bullivant read a letter from Adam Garside, a young London-based accountant, who was on the holiday in Croatia at the same time as Ben, and spent time with him.

He said that if he had such an impact on his life after only five days, he could not imagine what the impact would be like after losing him for a lifetime.

"You should know that the days leading up to his death were some of the funniest ever," Ms Bullivant read.

Former Ngaruawahia High School principal David Bradford described Ben as the school's model student.

"You could not help liking Ben," he said. "He did more in his short number of years than most of us do in a lifetime. We can see that here today."

Light rain began to fall as soon as Ben's casket was carried out of the hall and through a hockey team guard of honour.