When Chris Hodkinson died at the age of 49, his family knew they wanted a service that would celebrate his love of carp fishing, which lead to the rather unique request for funeral arrangers Sam Ward and Joanne Kieswetter at Mexborough Co-op Funeralcare. Chris’s passion for the sport began during his childhood when his mum Linda took Chris and his brother David fishing for the very first time. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
The duo quickly became mad about it and became members of a small fishing syndicate, disappearing on trips for days on end. Linda said: “Chris had all the gear and spent a small fortune over the years on rods, reels, camping equipment and even had a cooking stove. He had all the mod cons; it was like a home from home.
” So when Chris’s family met with the team at Hartley Street, Mexborough, they had an unusual request for them: a personalised coffin. The result was unveiled on the day of the service, much to the guests’ amazement and the family’s delight. Advertisement Advertisement Linda said: “I thought it was beautiful and looked so peaceful.
I would love it if other fishermen knew that this exists.” Sam said: “We were delighted to support Chris’s family with such a personal request. At Co-op Funeralcare, we believe that funerals have evolved, with many families.
