Tom Moore, the 100-year-old British national hero who raised millions of pounds for the National Health Service during the pandemic, was expelled with military honors at his funeral on Saturday.
Soldiers in Bedford, England, carried Mr. Moore’s coffin and saluted with gunshots to the decorated World War II veteran, who came to be known and loved as “Captain Tom”. The ceremony was also marked by the flight of a Royal Air Force plane from the time of World War II.
Moore became a national sensation last year when he took his walker for charity and started walking around his brick garden courtyard in Marston Moretaine, a village an hour north of London.
Her daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, publicized her walks and helped transform them into an online fundraising campaign with the original goal of raising £ 1,000 for the National Health Service, which was stretched to the breaking point by the pandemic.
Ultimately, Moore took 100 laps, raising £ 32.8 million, or $ 45 million, and achieving a beloved celebrity status. He died in February after being treated for pneumonia, and the test was positive for the coronavirus.
“We were as close as a family before that, but we were pushed even closer together as the world became enchanted by its spirit of hope, positivity and resilience,” said Ingram-Moore on Saturday, during a service limited to family members, but broadcast online. “They also saw their belief in the goodness and fundamental goodness of the human spirit.”
With his agile charm, mischievous smile and elegant outfits, Moore has become an international media star. He recorded a song at the top of the charts, “You Never Walk Alone”, with singer Michael Ball. And he caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth II, who made a rare public appearance during the pandemic to make him a knight at Windsor Castle.
When he died, tributes poured in from pop stars and ordinary citizens.
Moore said in an interview with The New York Times in May that he saw fundraising as a way to support health workers, just as he recalled that the nation supported him and his fellow soldiers during the war.
“At that time, people my age were fighting on the front lines and the general public was after us,” he said. “In this case, doctors and nurses and all medical personnel, they are on the front lines. It is up to my generation to support them, just like we did the backup. “
He spent the last months of his life writing a book that included instructions for his funeral, the BBC reported. In a section released by the family, Moore requested that the cult include the song “My Way”, by Frank Sinatra. Yes Yes.
“I always did things my way,” he wrote, “and I especially like the phrase about having few regrets to mention.”