Mourners pay tribute to Air France crash victim (From The Northern Echo)

Mourners pay tribute to Air France crash victim

8:28am Tuesday 21st July 2009 in

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HUNDREDS of mourners gathered yesterday to honour a businessman killed when an Air France passenger plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean last month.

St Hilda’s Church, in Whitby, was packed,with many mourners forced to stand, for the funeral of Arthur Coakley, 61, from nearby Sandsend.

Mr Coakley – a design engineer and director of several companies, including Teesside-based Wilton Engineering Services Limited – was returning home following a four-week business trip to Brazil when the plane crashed on June 1.

The father-of-three, who was born in Middlesbrough, was among five Britons on board the plane, which had taken off from Rio and was bound for Paris.

He leaves his wife, Patricia, and children Dominic, 31, Patrick, 29, and Mise, 25.

Speaking at the service, Mr Coakley’s lifelong friend, David Cook, said: “He was the nicest person I ever met, and I’ve never heard a bad word said about him.

“Arthur loved life and he loved to laugh. In fact, I can almost feel him up there now, laughing at the sight of me speaking from this church pulpit.

“He loved his mates and he loved his work, but he had a special and unparalleled love for his family, to whom he was devoted.

“Even as a kid he always had such a sense of kindness, fairness and justice.

“We have always had a very special bond of friendship.

“I spoke to him the day before my birthday, when he called me from Brazil – that was the last time we ever talked.

“Along with many people here today, I have loved Arthur Coakley for 61 years.

“I will love him forever.”

Mr Coakley’s friend and colleague, Davey McKay, said: “Arthur was an uncomplicated man, straightforward and honest.

“He was a man of no pretences, and utterly devoted to the family he loved.

“He was in the process of planning his retirement, sailing round the world’s oceans, but his dream was tragically and unfairly snatched away from him.

“His legacy will live on forever.”

Mr Coakley was buried in the churchyard of St Oswald’s, in Lythe, near Whitby.