On Sunday, July 25th. 2010, our minister, Rev'd Ian Banks, went out to sea with the Mablethorpe Lifeboat crew to scatter the ashes of the late Tom Brett, President of the Skegness and District Burma Star Association. Tom's daughter Ann also accompanied them. Before heading out to sea, Ian conducted a short service at the Boathouse attended by members of Tom's family and Burma Star members and friends

Tom's funeral took place at the Roman Catholic Church in Mablethorpe on July 13 where Tom was commended into the hands of Almighty God and his earthly body was committed to be cremated.

Then on July 25th his family and friends gathered in faith by the sea [a place which holds so many memories for people who, like Tom, have served in the Royal Navy], to once again celebrate and reflect upon memories of Tom and commit the ashes of his earthly remains to the sea with dignity and grace.

Tom had a really lovely quiet sense of humour and was not one to stand on ceremony, so he would have been delighted that as the lifeboat was preparing to launch, the Mablethorpe beach donkeys interupted the proceedings on their way to the beach.

As Tom's ashes were scattered from the lifeboat the crew set off a flare so that those watching from the boathouse would know that Tom had finally been committed to the sea with dignity and grace.

Footnote: The Mablethorpe Lifeboat is a giant sized 'rubber dingy' that can reach speeds of around 35 miles per hour and do what Ian described as hand brake turns! He said, after the formalities, the crew took us out on an exercise and did their very best to try and tip us into the sea. I hung on for dear life. We were at sea for well over an hour (it seemed like an eternity!) and when we returned I was soaked through despite a very close fitting wet suit, which I must confess I had struggled to put on in the first place (they didn't have my tummy size!). Despite this, the experience was very enjoyable and exciting. My grateful thanks go to the men and women of the RNLI at Mablethorpe for the dignified way in which they hosted the whole event and for the hospitality shown to us all on the day.

During the service in the boathouse Ian paid a special tribute to Tom which is reproduced below:

Tom had a brilliant way of conveying what he wanted to say just by looking at you. I can picture just how he will be staring at me now, especially when I say that Tom was a truly wonderful devoted husband and father. Someone of whom it could be said in all truth, had a heart of gold and who over his life has shown tremendous courage and faith. We meet with that blessed assurance that he will live for ever in our hearts and in his heavenly home.

You will all have your own special memories of Tom. Some of those memories you will have in common with others but many will be special just to you and Tom. I know that for Doreen there are many such special memories.

Tom will be missed by his wife Doreen, daughters Julie and Ann and her husband Harvey, and his granddaughter Kim; indeed Tom is going to be sorely missed by his many friends, especially Barbara Hall, the Secretary of the Burma Star Association. who has been such a wonderful help to Tom and Doreen for a number of years.

Tom lived a long life, not quite making it to his 87th birthday. For the most part it was a life of service to others - 35 years in one job is a long time, although Doreen, who worked at the same place, pipped him by two years.

As a young man Tom served his country on the Aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, on duty as part of the Pacific Fleet in World War 2. Service for which Tom was awarded the Burma Star. Memories of that time and the comrades who fell had stayed with him throughout his life, indeed you could see those memories just by looking into his eyes.

Right up until only a few weeks before he died Tom was serving the memory of those who fell as he helped place a Remembrance stone in the Rose Garden in Skegness.

Tom worked really hard for the British Legion Poppy Appeal in Mablethorpe, even going out in his mobility buggy to collect donations (I understand that he even defied orders to come home). In all of this work Tom was not only helping people he knew and had met, but also many thousands of people who he would never meet but who benefited from his fund raising activities.

People such as Tom are the unsung heroes, beavering away in the background not wanting any praise or recognition, just the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping others and, I'm sure in Tom's case, serving his Lord, Jesus. I know from my contact with Tom that he had a very strong faith and regularly attended the Roman Catholic Church in Mablethorpe.

Knowing Tom has been a very humbling experience for me. None more so that when Tom gave me his crucifix which he had worn throughout the war and beyond. It was a great honour for me to be entrusted with something which was so very special to him.

Such was Tom that he never wanted a fuss or any form of praise or reward (I am going to get such a stare for all I'm saying today). Tom indeed lived up to the prayer of St Ignatius; Teach us Lord to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to seek for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will.

Tom will be missed by us all, especially his dear family and by all those he has touched with his kindness and love and his faith. But remember Doreen, nothing can separate you from Tom's love nor he from yours, even death. He lives on in our hearts and in his heavenly home. And he will be keeping a watchful eye over us all!