Hundreds pay their respects to tragic Ross

From the archive, first published Tuesday 27th Sep 2005.

THEY came in their hundreds to pay tribute to a popular teenager whose life was cut short in its prime in a car accident.

Ross Hodgkins, of Golds-mith Road, Warndon, and his friend Richard Harvey were killed when their Peugeot 106 Quicksilver hit a tree at Crown East near Worcester shortly after midnight on Friday, Sep-tember 16.

At a moving ceremony at Worcester Crematorium yesterday, mourners paid tribute to the `rascal' whose life had been full of teenage pranks, football and a love of cars.

The Reverend Derek Arnold summed up the question on everyone's mind when he asked: "Why Ross, God? We long for an answer."

On top of his coffin, his family had placed a model of his blue car made out of flowers and with the number plate RJH 1.

Ross, aged 18, was a former pupil of Nunnery Wood High School and Cranham Primary and had just started a course in car mechanics at Evesham College.

He dreamt of owning his own garage one day.

Mr Arnold read a letter written by Ross's mother, Dawn. "I smiled when I saw your expression in your pram," she said.

"I laughed when you told me you wanted to be a ghostbuster when you grew up.

"I smiled when you scored your first goal."

Mourners heard how Ross's life had been full of schoolboy tricks - squirting his mother with his windscreen washers and throwing eggs at front doors - but the kindness he showed to friends shone through.

The flowers told the story of his short life, some from Warndon Football Club, others in the shape of a steering wheel.

One bouquet, from his sister Carly, simply read: "My little bro, I love you and I want you back."

The service's music reflected Ross's life too. The upbeat songs Poison by Groove Coverage and Out of Touch by United Nations were his favourites.

He was a Liverpool football supporter and the congregation's singing of You'll Never Walk Alone was particularly poignant.

And judging by the hundreds who packed the crematorium, it was true too.

Archive Home