The funeral of 51-year-old dad-of-one, David Howson, was held at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Ulverston yesterday.
The popular bookmaker, hound trailer and Preston North End fan was found hanged at his home in Oxford Street, Ulverston, on Sunday January 8.
More than 200 people turned out in force yesterday morning to honour the well-known and much-loved member of their community.
Standing outside St Mary’s, Mr Howson’s fellow Preston supporters shed their coats in spite of the cold and rain, uncovering their club’s shirt from days past and present and forming a guard of honour for the die-hard fan’s coffin.
The casket was carried into the church by his fellow members of Ulverston Cocktail Club, recognisable by their sharp black suits and bow ties.
The service was opened by Mr Howson’s daughter, Becky, who delivered a brave and unfaltering reading from the prophet Isaiah 25: The Lord Will Destroy Death Forever.
The congregation then stood to sing The Lord is My Shepherd before the service, led by Canon Sheamus Flannery.
Mr Flannery said: “Death overwhelms us with a mixture of emotions that baffle the mind and break the heart.
“Feelings of guilt – how did we let this friend down? Could we have said or done something that prevented this tragedy?
“We have feelings of anger, feelings of despair, and feelings of denial – is this really happening or is it just a bad dream?
“Words are always inadequate in the face of death, and I feel that inadequacy this morning.”
Mr Flannery went on to tell the congregation about Mr Howson’s life, from his birth in Ulverston, where he attended Croftlands School, and later Ulverston High School, to his marriage to wife Jacqueline in 1990.
The couple moved to Preston following the birth of their daughter, and it was there that Mr Howson became a dedicated Preston fan, a passion underlined by the sheer number of white and navy shirts among the congregation.
In 2006 the family moved back to Ulverston, where Mr Howson was well-known for the fun and friendship he offered to those around him as well as his love of football, hound-dog racing and the hills and mountains of the Lake District.
After the speech there followed more prayers, before Ulverston Cocktail Club member Bill Kitson took to the podium to regale the congregation with tales of their friend’s life, sparking both laughter and tears in the pews.
Describing Mr Howson, he said: “He was, in character and in conviction, an honest man.
“We will speak later of his generosity, his humour and his knowledge.
“In the hills, he was an actor in God’s finest theatre.”
His voice breaking with emotion, Mr Kitson added: “Dave. You are, forever, a twinkling star in heaven.”
