Special tribute planned for schoolboy's funeral

A special tribute is being planned for the funeral tomorrow morning for a 15-year-old schoolboy who lost his life following a road crash in Ballymoney.
Marcus ForsytheMarcus Forsythe
Marcus Forsythe

Marcus Forsythe, a pupil at Ballymoney High School, died following a crash between the scrambler he was on and a car on the Taughey Road in Ballymoney on Saturday afternoon.

A motoring club known as ‘NI Car Mania’, which he had been a member of, are planning a convoy of cars to follow the funeral cortege to “give him the send off he genuinely, genuinely deserves”.

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A family friend, Sandra Gibson, said she had known young Marcus his entire life.

“I’ve known him since he was a baby, and his mum and his dad and his sisters,” she said. “They are in absolute bits over this. He was like any other 15-year-old guy, he just loved life.”

Marcus was also an avid motoring hobbyist and was a member of the motoring club ‘NI car mania’ set up by Sandra.

She said: “Anywhere I went with the club, he came with me.

“Our car club is very family orientated so there would be different charities and things that we would raise money for. He would have taken photographs for us and he was really good at it. He enjoyed what he was doing.

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“He would have done anything for anybody. He really was a brilliant young guy.”

The club are planning a special tribute to young Marcus for his funeral. Sandra explained: “We are planning a convoy with as many cars as we can get to follow the funeral cortege to help give him the send-off that he genuinely, genuinely deserves.”

She added: “We’re also going to hold an event in remembrance of him, and we are going to collect money for his mum and dad, to help with the funeral costs.”

In a statement, Ballymoney High School principal Mrs Currie said: “Marcus was a friendly, sociable, fun loving young man who will be sadly missed by the pupils, staff and all in the Ballymoney High School community.”

A funeral for Marcus Forsythe will take place on Thursday at Murdock’s Funeral Home, Windsor Avenue in Coleraine at 11.00am, followed by interment in Coleraine Cemetery.