A church was packed to the doors as mourners paid their respects to one of Huddersfield’s ‘ loveable rogues’.
St Joseph’s Church was overflowing with people today (Wednesday) for Clinford Joseph’s funeral.
The 35-year-old from Paddock died four weeks ago in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.
Clinford, whose mum died when he was young, had clocked up more than 300 offences for drunkenness, nuisance and petty theft.
He was a chronic alcoholic and had a learning disability.
He suffered from pancreatitis for several years. On July 16, he was admitted to hospital after his pancreas became inflamed and burst. It caused a blood clot and several days later he went into cardiac arrest.
A fundraiser to pay for Clinford’s funeral had brought in £775.
More than 50 people donated cash in his memory – including four police officers, one of whom dubbed him as ‘a loveable rogue’.
This afternoon, there was a round of applause as a wooden coffin, which was topped with a white wreath in the shape of a crucifix, was unloaded from a black hearse.
More than 100 people, some dressed in all black and others in bright colours, piled into the church on Somerset Road.
Clinford’s large family had invited funeral-goers to bring a tin of beer to ‘have one last drink with Clinford’. A small number of people were visibly drunk, while some waited until after the service open their cans.
Reading the eulogy, his niece Jodie Thomas said: “In his final moments Clinford was surrounded by love as we all said our goodbyes.
“I know for certain that there will never, ever be another Clinford Joseph.”
Another one of his nieces Zoe Thomas, Jodie’s sister, read a poem.
The women later followed the coffin out of the church, followed by Clinford’s sister Jolene Joseph who was weeping and clutching a framed photo of her late brother.
Father Emmanuel Adindu led the funeral, which lasted around an hour.
The burial took place at Hey Lane Cemetery on Stirley Hill before a wake was held in The Dalton pub in Bradley Mills.
Clinford had been made the subject of anti-social behaviour orders and banned from local pubs and parts of the town centre, but he had also been described in court as ‘perfectly pleasant’ when sober.
He loved boxing and trained at Rawthorpe Amateur Boxing Club in Huddersfield.
