"Wonderful celebration of her life": Clare Nowland's fond farewell
Great-grandmother and beloved community member Clare Nowland will be farewelled in a “grand celebration” focusing on her extraordinary life, and not her tragic death after being tasered by police.
Parish priest of St Patrick’s Catholic Church and a very close friend of Nowland, Father Croker, has told The Daily Telegraph that her funeral service will be held on June 13 from 11 am.
“It will be a very big funeral, no doubt … and that’s the family’s request that it’s a wonderful celebration of her life,” he revealed.
Nowland had lived a full life with 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren, who will be among the hundreds of mourners expected at the funeral service which will be held at St Patrick’s Church.
“Throughout her long life her faith was always so important to her … and of course, her large family,” he said.
He added that the great-grandmother had a passion for helping others, especially the other residents at their local nursing home.
“She was a very smart lady, always helping people … she would go each week, when her health was better, and feed the residents at a local nursing home.”
Nowland had suffered serious head injuries after being tasered by police at a Cooma Nursing home on May 17. She passed away peacefully a week later surrounded by her family.
Senior Constable Kristian White was suspended and charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and common assault.
He is due to face Cooma Local Court on July 5.
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