Mourners pay their final respects at funeral of inspirational Steve Evans

The flowers at the front of Wolverhampton Civic Hall spelled out 'Thanks for coming', which was the 52-year-old's catchphrase at the end of a night on stage either as a magician or in his comedy guise of 'the man from the council'.

Steve Evans inspired thousands of people not to be afraid to talk about cancer as he went on a two-year 'journey' living with the disease.

• An amazing intelligent bloke: Comic Frank Skinner’s emotional tribute to pal Steve Evans

His appearances on TV and radio as well as interviews in the Express & Star won him an army of admirers and amassed him 26,000 followers on Twitter.

He had lived with incurable stomach cancer for two years before passing away in New Cross Hospital in January.

Steve's wife of 28 years, Septina, of Old Fallings Lane, and their daughters Megan, 26, and Lauren, 21, followed the coffin, carried by members of the security companies who have worked the door at the Civic and become friends with Steve, who looked after comedians and other performers for a decade as well as managing outdoor events.

And his mourners included the likes of Radio Five Live host Richard Bacon, on whose show Steve had been a regular phone-in guest, and 'Comedy' Dave Vitty, the sidekick of former Radio One breakfast show host Chris Moyles.

Mr Bacon spoke to the Express & Star after the public service at the Civic Hall – the first time in its 75-year history that a funeral was held there. He said: "Steve had this unique way of explaining what was happening to him.

"He came across as an everyman but he wasn't an everyman at all. He had many different lives at once. And he took a lot of people on his journey. Cancer can affect anyone and I know no that if it ever happens to me, I will handle it better because I knew Steve."

Steve's eulogy was delivered by Frank Skinner, who was almost overcome with emotion as he described how his friend had known that it was time to 'go to sleep' and how he believes friends and family would have been fine if no-one else had ever known Steve, if they could just have him back. There was also a moving tribute from Steve's lifelong friend John Price, whom he knew from Northicote School.

Steve's funeral was held at the Civic both because it was his 'spiritual home' and because Old Fallings United Reform Church, where Steve was in the Boys Brigade in his youth, was not big enough to hold the more than 1,000 people who wanted to pay their respects.Steve was also a magician and comedian in his own right and at the end of the ceremony, members of the International Brotherhood of Magicians snapped his wand as a symbol that his performance was now over. But there was one last show that he had planned to every last detail as he went on his journey. And that included a speech from Frank, whose real name is Chris Collins.

Frank revealed that in the 1980s he had nearly bought a home in Stourbridge and that Steve, whose day job was a building surveyor for Wolverhampton City Council, offered to survey it for him."Before we even got in the house he started swinging the door and the bloke asked if there was a problem, so Evo said : 'Ooh, I think so'. He then went in the attic and rolled a large ball bearing from one side to the other. It made the couple so paranoid they started confessing various problems to me, knocking £500 off every time. I didn't buy it, but it was a great night out."

Steve also dealt with hecklers at the Edinburgh Fringe who had thrown rolled-up paper at him. Frank said how Steve threw a big ball of paper at the back of the head of one of the hecklers later on, and then smiled menacingly. "I was just glad he didn't have his ball bearing," Frank said.

See also:

• Tribute to inspirational Steve Evans

• Farewell Steve Evans, you did us proud

• Brave Steve Evans will never be forgotten

• Nine inspiring tweets from brave Steve Evans