Date set for funeral of popular Newport firefighter whose cancer battle featured on TV
Family, colleagues and friends of a popular Newport firefighter who died after a brave battle with cancer are preparing to say a final farewell.
The funeral of Shane Evans, who died at Severn Hospice, in Shrewsbury, on Sunday, January 2, will be held at St Nicholas Church, in Newport, on Monday, January 24.
"Anybody who knew Shane is welcome to come along," said Shane's dad, John. "He had two more families with the fire service as he served with the MoD, and as a retained officer at Newport.
"The fire service has been very supportive of us and Shane's partner Lisa and the children. I know they were all devastated. Shane also knew lots of people years ago from the nightclubs and the house music scene - before his tastes developed!"
Mr Evans revealed that he was the only one of the family so far to be able to watch a Channel 5 documentary that featured Shane last Thursday. He saw it on Sunday morning on catch-up, but his mum Linda couldn't watch.
The episode broadcast on January 6 featured Shane's operation in July at Royal Stoke University Hospital.
In January last year he was diagnosed with squamous cell oesophageal cancer.
He underwent a 10-hour operation to remove a tumour from his oesophagus, the tube that connects the throat to the stomach.
Shane's dad said: "I did find it difficult to watch but I am glad that I have seen it.
"It was painful seeing the interviews with Shane before and after the operation but good to show him how he was."
Shane told the programme that he went to the doctors' after being unable to swallow food properly.
Shane's dad said: "There is a message here that if anything is wrong, get it checked out."
Shane was 42 when he died and it was all the more shocking because he and his partner Lisa had four young children. He didn't drink or smoke, ate organic food, and went to the gym five days a week.
The operation was judged a success as the cancer was removed and Shane was hopeful of making a recovery. But his health worsened.
On Christmas Day, Shane's Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service colleagues visited him in a fire engine, with flashing lights and sirens at his home in Newport.
After he died his mum Linda told the Shropshire Star: "He lived his life to save other people but nobody could save his."
A fundraising drive to raise £10,000 for Shane's partner Lisa Stovin, and children Chelsea, Izabelle, Kian and Corey is running on Go Fund Me here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/funds-for-ff-shane-evans.
