The Welcome Good afternoon and a warm welcome to you all. On behalf of Martin and Nicky, thank you for coming today to say goodbye to their much-loved son, Mark. As you gather here united by love and kinship, let us be grateful for these precious moments so that those who knew and loved Mark can honour his life and pay your last respects. And just as importantly, today is an opportunity to support one another in your grief and sadness; after all you are experiencing these same feelings to a lesser or greater extent. Mark was a beautiful, bright shining star with the most kindest, caring, polite, and soft-natured soul. He was friendly and outgoing, confident in certain situations, he took great pride in his appearance, and was always immaculately turned out. He really was one of a kind, a special and unique human being, who brought a lot of joy and happiness to your lives over the years. And remember, you each have something special and unique of Mark that was privy only to you and him, that’s what makes relationships so precious; a moment in time, a conversation imparted, some laughter too, a memory created, and a whole lot of love shared between you. These are the things that are left now that Mark has gone, and these are the things that will live on in your thoughts forever. So even though Mark’s life has been cut way too short, and the ending was tragic, I hope when your sadness and grief dissipates somewhat, that your memories of him bring a smile to your face rather than tears, and warmth to your hearts rather than pain, because I think there’s some truth when they say, ‘Loved ones live on in words they have said, in the lives they touched and in the happiness we feel every time we remember them.