Jethro laid to rest at cathedral service

Jethro has been laid to rest with a funeral service at Truro Cathedral.

His body was carried to the ceremony from his club at Lewdown in Devon  in a wicker casket in a 4x4 with the registration plate J35TER.

Fans applauded along the route and the service was relayed via loudspeakers to those outside the cathedral.

Cornish comedian Jethro has made his final journey to his "beloved Cornwall" ahead of his funeral at @TruroCathedral… arriving to a round of applause.#RIPJethro pic.twitter.com/DmqckrzvAV

— Cornwall's Pirate FM (@piratefm) January 3, 2022

A eulogy was read out on behalf of Jethro's family and speakers included his long-time agent John Miles and  Jim Davidson who described him as a ‘great comic’ and ended his tribute by saying: ‘Fly high, Geoff.’

In a separate tribute released on YouTube, Davidson said: ‘He was a great comedian, Jethro. He just liked to tell jokes, he liked jokes and his timing was immaculate. Even if you'd heard that old joke a million times he'd still make you laugh with it, he was unique. I never met anyone who had a bad word to say about him and that's the measure of a man for me.’

Hymns included The Old Rugged Cross and the traditional song Trelawny, accompanied by Cornish folk band The Oggymen.

Jethro – real name Geoff Rowe –  died in December at the age of 73 after contracting Covid-19. He stopped touring in 2020 after more than 50 years on the road, blaming his failing memory.

Published: 3 Jan 2022