More than 100 strangers turned out for a homeless army veteran’s funeral this week — thanks to his best friend, who recruited his daughter to find mourners to help give his chum a proper send-off.
Ex-soldier Steve McGrath–who served in Northern Ireland and Cyprus for seven years–was found dead in a hostel on Jan. 17, where he was undergoing rehab after spending some time on the streets, The Telegraph UK reported.
The 56-year-old widower, estranged from this two children, and had no other family, according to the report.
That’s when his best friend Chris Bridson, 60, knew he had to do something.
“The thought of no one being there for him at his funeral was heartbreaking,” Bridson said. “It was so sad to think someone who served for this country could have a funeral with no one there.”
He asked his daughter to spread the word about the funeral on Facebook.
“My Dad sadly lost one of his ex-army friends recently,” Zoe Bridson posted on Feb. 2. “Unfortunately he had fallen on bad times and was homeless. He has no family. If anyone is around on Tuesday the 14th of Feb, 15:20 and would like to pay their last respects to someone who fought for their country, you would be very welcome at Anfield crematorium.”
“Please feel free to share,” she added. “It’s so easy to forget how lucky we are.”
And people came in droves on Tuesday — so many so that some in the overflow crowd were forced to listen to the ceremony on speakers outside of the packed building.
McGrath, nicknamed “Mac,” had served in the King’s Regiment, nicknamed ‘Kingos,’ which later became known as the Duke’s First Battalion.
In 1976 and 1982, he completed two tours in Derry-Londonderry and Belfast before undergoing a six month tour of Cyprus.