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Steve Evans: Funeral held for BBC radio cancer blogger | |
(about 9 hours later) | |
The funeral has taken place of Steve Evans, who won a following of thousands by appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live to speak about his terminal illness. | |
The 52-year-old council worker, a part-time magician and comedian, died last month from stomach cancer. | |
A public memorial service was held at 12:30 GMT Monday at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, where he worked. | |
Magic tricks were performed and Birmingham comedian Frank Skinner paid tribute to Mr Evans. | |
"He was a man much cleverer than he looked," Skinner said. | |
"It was his secret weapon." | |
More than 500 people attended the service, the first funeral to be held at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. | |
Speaking before the ceremony, Mr Evans' daughter Megan Evans said "We knew he was who he was. How he loved, and how he acted, and how he played. | |
"The fact that everyone else in the world seems to agree with us validates him as a person. | |
"If we live the way he taught us, then his legacy lives on." | |
Mr Evans, who had more than 26,000 followers on Twitter - whom he referred to as his "extended family" - was praised for his stints on Richard Bacon's radio show where he discussed his illness. | |
After the service, Mr Bacon said: "He had this way of connecting with people and he explained the experience of having a terminal diagnosis better than anyone, more insightfully than anyone, and more humour than anyone." | |
"He managed to have many different lives encompassed into a single life, and they were all captured and represented within the service." | |
A fundraising page set up Mr Evans's name in aid of a local hospice has raised almost £15,000. |