Linda Nolan’s former brother-in-law Shane Richie cut a sombre figure as he arrived for her funeral in Blackpool on Saturday.
Friends, family and fans of the star gathered outside St. Paul’s Church in Blackpool on Saturday as she was laid to rest following her death last month.
The singer tragically passed away on January 15 2024 aged 65 following a 20-year breast cancer battle and suffering from double pneumonia.
And Shane, 60, who was married to Linda’s sister Coleen between 1990-1999, was one of the first to arrive to pay his respects, as he hid his eyes behind brown tinted shades.
Meanwhile, the last surviving Chuckle brother, Paul Harlan, 77, has arrived at Linda Nolan’s funeral to pay his respects and said ‘the world will be a darker place without Linda, we used to enjoy our life together’.
Loose Women star, Coleen Nolan’s son Shane Richie, 35, was manning the door for his aunt while Linda’s older sister Denise, 72, will read the eulogy.
Linda Nolan passed away on 15th January, aged 65 at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. She died from double pneumonia, where she entered into end-of-life care and then into a coma. She was living with secondary breast cancer, which had spread to her hip, liver and brain, but cancer was not the cause of death.
The surviving sisters of the Irish eighties pop group – Maureen, 71, Anne, 74, Denise, 72, and Coleen, 59, – have raised £2,670 for Trinity Hospice.
Linda will be laid to rest in her ‘spiritual home’ of Blackpool, where the Nolans found fame after moving to the town in 1972, and where they lived for much of their lives, once even recording a single called Blackpool about the football club.
The funeral service, which was due to begin at 10.30am, was held in the same church on Honister Avenue where Linda married her beloved husband Brian Hudson in 1981.
Linda Nolan’s former brother-in-law Shane Richie cut a sombre figure as he arrived for her funeral in Blackpool on Saturday
Shane, 60, who was married to Linda’s sister Coleen between 1990-1999, was one of the first to arrive to pay his respects, as he hid his eyes behind brown tinted shades
The singer tragically passed away on January 15 2024 aged 65 following a 20-year breast cancer battle and suffering from double pneumonia (pictured in 2020)
The order of service for the late star was seen held by mourners outside the church
An image of Linda and husband Brian was pictured on the order of service alongside a poem
The church is also where she held Brian’s funeral, after she lost him to skin cancer in 2007 when he was 60 years old.
A private service followed at a crematorium nearby, with Linda laid to rest with Brian’s ashes.
Her sister Coleen previously explained how they had decided on Linda’s final resting place, telling The Mirror: ‘My first thought after she died was to put Brian’s ashes with Linda’s.
‘So that’s what we’re doing. In life they were never apart, so I’m glad they’ll be together again.’
In the wake of her death, Linda’s sisters Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59, extended an invitation to her fans to say their goodbyes and celebrate ‘her remarkable life’.
Fans gathered outside St Paul’s in designated areas, joining in with the family’s final farewell.
An official invitation shared on social media last week read: ‘The Nolan family invites everyone to join them in celebrating the extraordinary life of Linda Nolan.
‘Linda was a beacon of light, strength and unwavering love who inspired everyone she met, in addition to millions around the world.
Friends, family and fans of Linda Nolan gathered outside St. Paul’s Church in Blackpool on Saturday as she was laid to rest following her death last month
The funeral service, which was due to begin at 10.30am, was held in the same church on Honister Avenue where Linda married her beloved husband Brian Hudson in 1981 (pictured together on wedding day)
The church is also where she held Brian’s funeral, after she lost him to skin cancer in 2007 when he was 60 years old
Shane looked downcast as he made his way to the church alone
Meanwhile, the last surviving Chuckle brother, Paul Harlan, 77, has arrived at Linda Nolan’s funeral to pay his respects and said ‘the world will be a darker place without Linda, we used to enjoy our life together’
Tommy Cannon arrived to say goodbye to Linda
Lisa Maffia was seen arriving at the church
The So Solid Crew star sported a long black coat as she arrived to pay her respects
‘Her absence leaves an ache in our hearts but her legacy will live on through the joy, hope and kindness she shared so freely.
‘Everyone who knew Linda or whose lives she touched, is welcome to come and pay their respects as we remember her remarkable life.
‘Fans and public are welcome to gather outside the church for the funeral – and in true Linda spirit, the more the merrier!’
It continued: ‘St. Paul’s Church holds a deeply special place in Linda’s heart. It is where she married the love of her life, Brian Hudson, with whom she shared 26 wonderful years of marriage. Brian was Linda’s rock, her soulmate, and the love of her life, just as she was his.
‘When Brian tragically passed away in 2007, Linda found the strength to carry on, but her love for him never wavered. St. Paul’s was also where Linda said her final goodbye to Brian, holding his funeral in the same church where they had exchanged their vows.
‘Now, Linda will return to this sacred place to be reunited with Brian once more, finally at peace and back in his loving embrace.
In the wake of her death, Linda’s sisters Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59, extended an invitation to her fans to say their goodbyes and celebrate ‘her remarkable life’
‘Following the service, there will be a private cremation at a nearby crematorium, attended by close family and friends only.’
The family then expressed their wishes that any donations be made to a charity.
They penned: ‘In honour of Linda’s compassionate and giving spirit, the family wishes to raise as much money as possible for Trinity Hospice, a charity that held a special place in Linda’s heart.
‘Donations can be sent through her memorial page, via the link in our bio. Messages of condolence, cherished memories and photos can also be shared on the page, creating a lasting tribute to Linda’s beautiful life.
‘Linda was more than a beloved sister, friend, and entertainer – she was a symbol of hope, humour and resilience.’
Linda was first diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2005 before getting the all-clear in 2006 – but in 2017 she was diagnosed with a form of incurable secondary cancer in her hip, which spread to her liver in 2020.
Three years later she shared the news that the cancer had spread to her brain, with two tumours discovered on the left side of her brain which left her struggling with her speech and balance.
And she issued an update last August that the tumours – which were thought to be stable – had grown.
Weeks before her death, the former Nolans star wrote in the Mirror that she was beginning to feel better after contracting double pneumonia, but two days later she was rushed to hospital with breathing problems.
Linda had heartbreakingly planned her own funeral in the years before her death, right down to her glitter pink coffin (pictured in 2022)
Coleen previously discussed the heartfelt plans for her sister’s funeral and revealed Linda had planned some details before her death, creating a list of requests for her sisters (pictured together in 2017)
She told The Mirror, how she wanted them to ‘wear mantillas’ and black outfits, but her coffin is set to have a showbiz twist (pictured together in 2017)
But despite being placed on oxygen and being urged to rest, Linda, known for her playful and spirited personality, couldn’t resist making those around her smile.
Rather than following medical advice to take it easy, she chose to spend her final hours spreading happiness and making people laugh.
Days after her death, her sister Denise, 72, reflected on her sister’s unwavering zest for life, describing how Linda embraced every moment and left behind memories of love, humor, and light.
Recounting the last few hours in the life of her ‘beautiful, brave, hard-working and talented sister’, Denise told the Mirror: ‘She’d been laughing and joking, although the medical team had told her she had to stay quiet to let her treatment do its job. Everyone was being quietly optimistic as she’d seemed so cheerful.
‘Then at 3.30am on Tuesday, we got the dreaded call, ‘Get to the hospital asap’.’
Linda had heartbreakingly planned her own funeral in the years before her death, right down to her glitter pink coffin.
Writing in her autobiography From The Heart in 2018, she explained: ‘I want to get all my affairs ‘in order’, as they say. I’ve caused my family enough worry over the years and so I want everything I can decided now so they don’t have to if I become very poorly.’
She added: ‘I’ve chosen the songs for my funeral… I would like There You’ll Be from Pearl Harbor sung by Faith Hill.
‘The words couldn’t be more fitting for the moment when I’ll finally be going to meet Brian again.’
The singer’s husband, Brian Hudson, died of liver failure in 2007 after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
Linda wrote: ‘It’s the song we played at his funeral. The song we’d jokingly rowed about years earlier as to which of us would have it at our funeral. A row in the days when we thought dying was a million miles away. Goodness, how things have changed.’
She also previously revealed her coffin choice, telling the Mirror: ‘Brian organised his funeral and it was amazing.
‘Bernie arranged hers. It’s easier for people left behind. I’ve gone into it a little bit. A Neil Sedaka song, Our Last Song Together. And I know the funeral people I’m going to use.
‘Brian’s coffin was like a flight case, with ‘This way up’, ‘Fragile’ on it.
‘Our auntie had a beautiful coffin with pictures of us around it.
‘Then Maureen said, ‘Look at this coffin, it was made for you, it’s pink glitter’.’
Coleen recently confirmed the heartfelt plans for her sister’s funeral and revealed Linda had planned some details before her death, creating a list of requests for her sisters.
The Loose Women star told how Linda wanted them to ‘wear mantillas’ and black outfits, while her coffin was to have a showbiz twist.
Coleen laughed: ‘I remember saying, “You are joking, Linda! If I see all my sisters in mantillas, I’m going to laugh the whole way through the funeral! We’ve decided not to do that, but we are wearing black.
‘Her coffin is pure showbiz – bright pink and sparkly, just as she wanted. The one thing my sister loved was bling so it feels right that she has a glittery pink coffin.’
Prior to her death, Linda shared her fears about dying of breast cancer like her sister Bernie as she battled a ‘bad case of flu’ in the weeks before she died at the age of 65.
In a newspaper column published shortly before her passing, Linda described how a debilitating bout of sickness for 11 days over Christmas made the festive period ‘a complete wipe out’.
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, before being given the all clear in 2011
Linda’s sisters also have a history of cancer, with herself, Coleen and Anne all receiving diagnoses and Bernie passing away from the disease in 2013
In what would be her final column for the Mirror, she wrote: ‘The doctors say it’s been a bad case of flu. I’d walk a few steps and struggle to catch my breath.
‘My legs were even more wobbly than usual and, although I try not to, I thought of how Bernie was at the end. You think, ‘Oh my God, is this it?’
‘It was only on Monday I felt well enough to venture out. It feels like a whole new world out there. There’s nothing like the sensation of starting to feel better after an illness.
‘You’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel normal (well, I say normal?).’
In an especially poignant final line, she added: ‘I’m no fan of resolutions but here’s one: It’ll take more than flu to finish me off.’
In the statement announcing her death, her agent Dermot McNamara wrote: ‘It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Linda Nolan, the celebrated Irish pop legend, television personality, Guinness World Record holding West End star, Sunday Times bestselling author and Daily Mirror columnist.
‘As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success; becoming the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide; touring the world and selling over 30 million records, with hits such as Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention to Me and the iconic disco classic I’m In The Mood for Dancing.’
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