Funeral director organises free funeral for 26-year-old Staffordshire Police officer
A West Midlands funeral director has stepped in to support the bereaved family of a 26-year-old Staffordshire police officer who died on holiday - by arranging his funeral for free.
PC Jack Reay, from Uttoxeter, died of a suspected cardiac arrest while on holiday with friends in Mallorca last month.
His brother, Tom, subsequently set up a GoFundMe page to help with Jack’s repatriation and funeral costs.
Having seen news of Jack’s death on Facebook, Jennifer Ashe & Son Funeral Directors, which has five branches across the region, offered the Reay family their services free of charge, to help give Jack the send-off he deserved.
Company secretary Joseph Evans, who has worked for the business for six years, spotted the GoFundMe campaign and knew exactly how he and his team could help the Reay family.
Joseph said: "I was scrolling through Facebook and stumbled upon Tom’s story about his brother’s sad passing. As it did with many others, it struck a chord with me and when I shared the news with the rest of our team, we all agreed without hesitation to offer our services to Jack’s family.
"We know how distressing as sudden a death as Jack’s can be to family and friends, and we wanted to provide a helping hand to assist his loved ones in any way we could, especially given the fact that he was a serving police officer with the Staffordshire Police and has dedicated his career to protecting and helping others.”
Jack’s funeral was held on Tuesday, August 29, at St John’s Church, Marchington Woodlands, and saw his colleagues at Staffordshire Police given the opportunity to pay their respects.
Joseph added: "Jennifer Ashe & Son helped to ensure the process from start to finish honoured Jack’s career and personality, with a police escort being of utmost importance."
The 26-year-old’s funeral procession passed police headquarters, based on Weston Road in Stafford, before making its way to the church.
Jack’s mother, Sarah, said: "We were speechless when we received the call from Joseph at Jennifer Ashe & Son offering to provide Jack’s funeral free of charge. It was one of the kindest and most unexpected gestures.
"Joseph and the team have been absolutely amazing and constantly supportive throughout the last month in the build-up to Jack’s funeral, and since with their aftercare offering.
"Nothing has proven to be too much trouble, and we wanted to thank all of the staff behind-the-scenes that have gone above and beyond for our family as we wanted to celebrate and remember Jack’s life."
Jack joined Staffordshire Police in 2020 and was a student officer in Cannock before joining the Moorlands Local Policing Team.
Chair of the Staffordshire Police Federation, Lee Robinson, said: "Everyone here is absolutely devastated. Jack was a hugely popular member of the team and very well thought of. I know this news will have shocked so many of his friends and colleagues.
"Jack was such a young lad who had such a bright future ahead of him. He was a ray of sunshine and will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.
"Such tragic news has created an overwhelming sense of sadness within the police family. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely sad time.
"I have no doubt that this is going to have a huge impact on so many of our members. If you need to talk to someone or would like further support during this sad time, please don’t hesitate to contact the Federation. We are here for you."
Jack’s GoFundMe fundraiser is still open for donations. To provide the Reay family with crucial support, go to gofundme.com/f/hh8q47-jack-reay
