Shoreham air crash: Funerals held for two victims

Services were held to remember Maurice Abrahams and Worthing United player Jacob Schilt

The funerals of two victims of the Shoreham air crash have been held in East Sussex.

A service for Maurice Abrahams was held in Rottingdean. He was working as a chauffeur and was on his way to pick up a bride on her wedding day when the crash happened in West Sussex.

A private ceremony was also held for Worthing footballer Jacob Schilt.

Eleven people died when a vintage jet crashed on to the A27 during the Shoreham Airshow on 22 August.

Witnesses have said Mr Abrahams gave way to another car moments before the crash, but then his Daimler was hit as he waited at traffic lights.

His funeral was held at St Margaret's Church, where he had taken brides on their wedding day.

Father Martin Morgan said the 76-year-old former soldier and police officer gave service to his country and the community, and it was believed his last actions were to save other people.

Friends of Maurice Abrahams were asked to take written memories and flowers to the service in Rottingdean

"Maurice was one of those people who was always around and would always speak and always smile and did a lot of work to make life easier for the people of Rottingdean and Ovingdean and beyond. He was a man who just gave," he added.

He described him as a "unique", "extraordinary" and "special" man who always dressed immaculately.

Father Morgan told mourners: "Thinking about him in the midst of all the horror that happened and the tragedy that happened, one of the words that keeps coming to my mind is 'service'.

"He gave service to his nation in various ways - as a guardsman, as a paratrooper and as a policeman."

Mourners included his wife Edwina, son Eddie and daughter Lizzie.

Before the Last Post sounded ahead of a private committal, friend David Spalding said he was a devoted family man who gave his wife flowers every Saturday and "made friends at the drop of a hat".

Friends and family attending the service were asked to take written memories of Mr Abrahams, and hand-picked flowers.

Ahead of the ceremony, Father Morgan said the flowers and memories would be a release for people - and he said the floral tributes on the bridge near the crash scene had also showed how people had been able to say what they felt, without words.

"I think our society needs that. Today is going to be a celebration of his life," he said. "It's going to be heartbreaking for his family and for so many people, but it's a celebration of what humanity can be like."

A guard of honour was formed as the coffin carrying Maurice Abrahams left St Margaret's Church in Rottingdean

The victims:

(Top row, left to right) Matt Jones, Matthew Grimstone, Jacob Schilt, Maurice Abrahams, Richard Smith. (Bottom row, left to right) Mark Reeves, Tony Brightwell, Mark Trussler, Daniele Polito, Dylan Archer, Graham Mallinson

• Matt Jones, a 24-year-old personal trainer

• Matthew Grimstone, 23, a Worthing United footballer who worked as a groundsman at Brighton & Hove Albion

• Jacob Schilt, also 23 and also a Worthing United player, was travelling to a match with Mr Grimstone

• Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton, was a chauffeur on his way to pick up a bride on her wedding day

• Friends Richard Smith, 26, and Dylan Archer, 42, who were going for a bike ride on the South Downs

• Mark Reeves, 53, had ridden his motorcycle to the perimeter of Shoreham Airport to take photos of the planes

• Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove was an aircraft enthusiast and had learnt to fly at Shoreham airfield

• Mark Trussler, 54, is thought to have been riding his motorcycle on the A27

• Daniele Polito was travelling in the same car as Mr Jones

• Graham Mallinson, 72, from Newick, was a keen photographer and retired engineer