A “true Bermondsey boy” who sadly passed away at only 68-years-old has lived up to the name – by asking his wife to pay for traditional pie ‘n’ mash with jellied eels for everyone at his funeral.
Stephen Moore, a keen fisherman and Rolling Stones fan, passed away from complications relating to a chronic lung condition in May after being hospitalised from a fall in March.
But prior to passing away, the former Burgess Park keeper made family and friends promise that people would not come to his funeral being sad – because instead he wanted them to laugh.
“He made my son promise – this is his sense of humour – he loved the Rolling Stones, so the first song they have to play is Paint it Black, and then the second Frank Sinatra, My Way,” said his doting wife of 48-years, Josie.
“But then the last song is Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire.
“He said, ‘I want people to laugh, I don’t want them coming to my funeral and being sad, I want them to have a laugh.’”
The Bermondsey Pie n Mash company, which Stephen chose to serve the traditional food at his funeral, said: “Stephen had been a loyal customer for the past year, ever since we opened.
The company have received an order for 80 pie ‘n’ mash with jellied eels.
“He requested that we serve the food at his funeral because he used to buy his pie and mash from us. It so sad to hear that he’s passed away.”
Days before Stephen passed away, Josie got a tattoo – with a fishing rod to symbolise Stephen’s deep love of fishing and her husband’s name on it too.
Stephen himself had a tattoo, as well – one of his beloved Rolling Stones.
The other, says Josie, “was an eagle that said ‘Josie forever’. “He had it done for our engagement party,” says Josie, when the sweethearts were just twenty-years-old.
Josie, who went to Bacon’s College with Stephen, paid tribute to her husband’s “wicked sense of humour.”
“Everyone liked him, he got on with everybody,” she said. “He was a very cheeky chappy, everyone just knew he loved a laugh.”
In later years, the father and grandfather was using a mobility scooter. But always up for fun, he’d use it to race friends around Southwark Park.
“There’s a neighbour [of ours] who’s got a mobility scooter, and my Stephen had one as well,” says Josie.
“They used to race one another around Southwark Park!”
A funeral procession for popular Stephen, who grew up on the Amos Estate, will leave Albin’s Funeral Directors at 10 on June 21, before a service at Honour Oak Crematorium at 11.30.
Guests at the funeral will be letting off white balloons in Stephen’s memory at a park near to the Canada Estate, with family members releasing balloons in the shape of doves.
A wake will be held at the Canada Estate TRA hall afterwards.
Bye bye uncle Steve, we’ll miss you and how you use to make us laugh.
RIP Stephen Moore…Dad said Josie Moore laid on a great send off.. pie n mash from the blue!!! What good grub… RIP mate x