Battler is defiant to the end

Sep 12 2005 By James Cartledge, Evening Mail

A FUN-loving husband died the way he lived, bringing smiles to the faces of all who knew him.

Simon Cooksey died aged just 45 after defying doctors' diagnoses that he had just months to live, two years ago.

In that time he travelled the world with wife Sarajane, a 36-year-old chef, after a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Diane, failed to cure his condition.

The couple, of Cliff Rock Road, Rednal, went to Florida three times and took a Caribbean cruise.

They also made a whistlestop tour of Scotland, had breaks in Prague and Malta and he even had a long weekend in Hong Kong and China.

Simon also put a Ferrari through its paces at Silverstone racetrack and formed a company selling model trees for miniature railway sets with close friend Steve Bird.

And when he finally lost his battle for life, he was cremated to the sounds of cult sixties hit Fire, by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

Globe-trotting Simon insisted the 1968 hit be played during his final goodbye to hundreds of friends and relatives.

Mourners were also banned from wearing ties and dark clothes to his funeral.

"His funeral was a bright and colourful celebration of his life," Sarajane said. "He decided what he wanted to happen and that was fine by me."

Close friend Mr Bird, aged 44, described Simon as a unique character who meticulously planned his funeral, at Redditch Crematorium.

Simon was married to Sarajane for six years. The couple had no children.