A Doctor Who fan was laid to rest in a Tardis coffin – which was wheeled in while the theme tune from the hit TV show played. ‘Sci-fi mad’ Robin Wilkinson, 50, died from a brain tumour in July 2023.
The dad-of-two, from Rotherham, South Yorks., also had a Star Wars lightsaber placed in the Tardis during the funeral service. He passed away three years after he first suffered blackouts, which were later diagnosed as a terminal glioblastoma tumour.
“Uncle Robin was sci-fi mad, so he was cremated in the Tardis – the Doctor Who police box,” niece Eve Huckbody, 36, said. “It was massive and weighed a tonne.
“It was too heavy to be carried, so it had to be wheeled in while the Doctor Who theme tune was playing. It was brilliant, I could just imagine him laughing his head off. It really summed him up.”
Robin, dad to Gemma, 23, and Kyle, 25, began to notice something was wrong in the summer of 2020. Eve, also from Rotherham, said: “He had an MRI scan but it took so long to get the results.
“During that time, his mum said he was babbling a lot and wasn’t making any sense. His emotions were really up and down. I actually called the local mental health team because I thought he was having a breakdown.
“That same day, the hospital called to say the MRI scan showed Uncle Robin had a brain tumour. It was devastating and I just didn’t want to believe it.”
Robin was then put on steroids to try and reduce the swelling on his brain. And Eve, who is mum to Lennon, five, and eight-month-old Laila, said: “We were told the tumour was terminal and would grow back.
“He was told he would get an extra 12 months if he had an operation. It was a really hard decision for him to make but he decided to go for it and had surgery in February 2021.
“He then had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but it made him really poorly. He was sick, dizzy, and had no appetite.
“I wondered if it was the right thing to do, but it did mean we had a family Christmas and Uncle Robin got to celebrate his 50th birthday, which was a big milestone for him.”
(Image: © Brain Tumour Research / SWNS)
Robin died at home on July 9, 2023, surrounded by his family and was cremated at Rotherham crematorium in August. His ashes were scattered into the Irish Sea at Sandscale Haws Nature Reserve at Holverston, Norfolk.
“When Uncle Robin was diagnosed, it was a massive shock and we were absolutely devastated,” Eve said. “Everyone loved him because he was such a fun character who was always being silly.
“The brain tumour took over his life. It was really hard to see him go through that. It is such a cruel disease. He didn’t deserve to die like that. But I’ve got so many happy memories of him, including his final farewell at the funeral.”
Eve is now telling Robin’s story through the charity Brain Tumour Research. She is also taking on the ‘100 a Day, Your Way in November Challenge’ to raise vital funds.
This sees participants choose from five exercises: squats, star jumps, sit ups, push ups or a plank, and aim to achieve 100 reps per day. Eve said: “Other cancers receive so much more funding than brain tumours. More needs to be done because it seems there is no way of surviving this.
“I’m doing the 100 a Day, Your Way in November Challenge not just for Uncle Robin but for everyone affected by brain tumours.”
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Eve for taking on the 100 a Day, Your Way in November Challenge as it’s only with the support of people like her that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like Robin who are forced to fight this awful disease.”
To donate to Eve’s fundraising page, visit: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1517445535675494/10233738497144599/
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