Only fools and Horses send off for Mansfield dad 'Big Jack' Sanders

Jack, who died aged just 35, and his daughter Ellie, 10, loved the TV comedy show so much his family arranged for the coffin to be driven by the specially-converted hearse to his funeral service.

Jack’s coffin was pulled by a bright yellow three-wheeled Reliant Regal emblazoned with Trotters Independent Trading - New York, Paris, Peckham, just like the one in the popular BBC1 series.

Jack had a yellow wicker coffin and wreaths with flowers spelling out “Daddy” and “Our Hero” on top of the hearse, which was followed by more traditional Rolls-Royce Phantoms.

The funeral procession to Mansfield Crematorium on Monday (August 14) was filmed by Jack’s uncle Lee Davey, a film maker and YouTube vlogger who goes by the name The MacMaster.

He said: “The video is a celebration of Jack’s life - a celebration because he never did things in the normal way.

“He was a larger then life character not the least because he was 6ft 8in tall.”

His video can be found here : https://youtu.be/o2XN4HUPWcQ

The celebrant, who led the celebration of Jack’s life, told the packed chapel: “It was very fitting for such a well-loved young man.”

“Jack’s favourite home time was when he and Ellie would laugh together for hours and hours at their mutual TV favourite only Fools and Horses.”

“Big Jack would have been the first to laugh seeing Del Boy’s bright Yellow three wheeler pull up outside the chapel.”

Mourners wore red and yellow for the service, where End of Time was played - a song by American rapper Tupac,.

Jack of Abbotts Croft, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2012 and had an operation to remove the tumour.

It was thought the operation was a success. However, the cancer returned in 2014.

Sandra Marshall, 65, Jack’s mother, of Chesterfield Road North, says she wanted to celebrate his “kind and loving personality”.

She said: “He is a Jack of all hearts and nobody could ever say a bad word about him.

“All the way through his treatment he kept a smile on his face and it was a pleasure to call him my son.”

“We booked the Only Fools and Horses hearse because it was his favourite programme. Ellie and he knew every word to it.”

Since the tumour returned, Jack and his family were ardent campaigners for the legalisation of cannabis oil, with Jack claiming the oil had “kept me alive for four years” and mother Sandra urging people to “give it a try”.