Colchester woman raises over £800 for her great father's funeral

Carl Williams, a Colchester United fan and single father, died last month aged just 50.

He leaves behind his 24-year-old daughter Kayleigh Williams and two grandchildren.

Kayleigh said she was shocked by the death of her “dear” and “wonderful” father.

“It was a huge shock for our family,” she said.

Support – Kayleigh is grateful to the Colchester community for the kindness and support she has received (Image: Kayleigh Williams)

“He was my only parent; I grew up without my mother and siblings, so he was the soul of my life.

“He was a truly caring and loving man and would have done anything for anyone.

“He always saw the best in everyone and was never afraid of who he was. He taught me not to worry about what others thought of me.

“He was a wonderful grandfather to my two children and always took care of us.”

As a single mother of two, Kayleigh decided to set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Carl's funeral and was overwhelmed by the generosity of the Colchester community.

“I set up the page to help with costs as I am a single mother of two and only 24 years old,” she said.

“Times are already tough and I felt that I could not financially offer my father the nicest farewell he deserves.

“To my great shock, so many people, including strangers, donated money to help me take the pressure off.

“The last thing you want to worry about when you lose a loved one is the cost of a funeral.”

Kayleigh raised an incredible £805 and even received a brand new Colchester United top from Dab Automotive to wear at Carl's funeral – as a nod to his love for the football team.

She said: “An incredible company, Dab Automotive, reached out to me and bought me a brand new roof for my father’s funeral.

“He was a huge Colchester United fan and dedicated his whole life to the team. It was only right to honour him by wearing a shirt and make him proud.”

Kayleigh's GoFundMe page remains open for donations, and Carl's funeral will take place on Friday (September 6).

“I will never forget the kindness of everyone during this time. It really showed me that we are a community and that there are some incredibly selfless people out there who have had a positive influence on me during these sad times,” Kayleigh added.

For more information, visit gofundme.com/carl-williams.