Funeral in Jersey for ‘inspirational’ aid worker Simon Boas

The funeral of “inspirational” aid worker Simon Boas has taken place in Jersey.

The director of Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) was diagnosed with throat cancer in September and died earlier this month at the age of 47.

Mr Boas moved to the island in 2016 and joined JOA after a career in international development with a focus on the Middle East.

His funeral service was held at Holy Trinity Parish Church, where family and friends paid their respects and said he had had a “well-lived, full and joyful life”.

After being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2023, Mr. Boas wrote several articles about his illness and a book titled A Beginner’s Guide to Dying.

His colleague, JOA President Carolyn Labey, said earlier that Boas became an inspiration to millions of people around the world after sharing his diagnosis and his views on life and death with others.

His coffin was carried into the crowded church to the accompaniment of a funeral hymn based on Lord Tennyson’s poem Crossing the Bar.

The remainder of the service consisted of hymns, readings, poetry, and a solo cello performance.

At the service, James Elliot, a childhood friend of Mr Boas, paid tribute to “how extraordinarily well-read he was” and how he was “blessed with an absurdist view of life”.

He said: “It is fitting that Simon was rightly recognised by a wider audience at the end for his commitment to public service, aid work and generally his dedication to helping others, summed up here in Jersey.

“Together with Aurélie (his wife) he became an honorary police officer, since 2019 he has been a Samaritan and Chairman of the Jersey Heritage Trust.

“In May he was awarded the Bailiff’s Silver Seal for his inspirational contribution to the island through volunteer work and, more recently, sharing his final journey through his writings.

“He also claimed to be the undisputed Scrabble champion of the island, although I have not been able to verify this.”

Those in the pews were also invited by the Reverend Canon Geoff Houghton, the Vice-Dean of Jersey, to share stories about Mr Boas that “made them laugh”.

Mr Boas’s procession left Holy Trinity Parish Church to the song Wonderful Life by Black for a private funeral.