THE funeral of Dave Ferguson will be a celebration of his life. His family is intent on making it a colourful affair to reflect his personality. People are being asked to wear Manchester United shirts – the team Mr Ferguson supported.

Two of his three sons, James and Daniel, though both Liverpool fans, will also wear their rival’s colours in honour of their father.

‘We have been so lucky to know Dave and we want to remember the good things that he gave us,’ said his widow, Rosemary.

‘We have our down times but we remain upbeat as well, as Dave was an upbeat person.’

The highly popular manager of Beau Sejour lost his life in a yachting accident off St Martin’s Point on 18 April. His funeral is expected to take place next week.

James said his father died doing something he had loved.

‘If there was such a thing as a book giving you choices on the way you could die, I think dad would have chosen that one,’ he said.

Mrs Ferguson said the family had taken comfort from the messages of sympathy that they had received, which included more than 200 cards.

‘We’ve found ourselves waiting for the postman, then having a good cry afterwards,’ she said.

‘So many people have said such nice things about the type of person Dave was and you can never take that away.

‘One of the nicest things that has been said to me was by the boys who said they want to be more like their dad.’

Mrs Ferguson said that while it might sound corny, there were never arguments in the house and there were no regrets.

‘The Desiderata, which is about tolerance and understanding, was Dave’s philosophy on life,’ she said. ‘He was always understanding of others and he would accept the other person’s point of view even if he did not necessarily agree with it.’

When the family got together at Easter, Mrs Ferguson and her future daughters-in-law discussed wedding plans, while her husband and sons typically played football on the beach.

The boys say they looked on their father as being one of their mates.

Following Mr Ferguson’s death, his sons’ friends visited the home to plant a memorial tree in the garden.

‘They said they could only visit some friends’ homes when their parents were out but with ours it was when we were in,’ said Mrs Ferguson.

Mrs Ferguson met her ‘one and only love’ when they were pupils at Vauvert School. She was 12, he was 14.

Their courting days were often spent roller skating at St George’s Hall and eventually they became officers in the Boys’ Brigade.

‘When he got to about 17 I thought he was not going to leave the brigade so I’d just as well join,’ said Mrs Ferguson.

She said her husband would not have believed the response that has followed his death.

‘This sort of outpouring for somebody who considered himself so ordinary would have overwhelmed him,’ she said.

James said his father believed that respect could only be earned and not demanded. To that effect he had no hesitation in going behind the bar at Beau Sejour and pulling pints when things were busy or in washing dishes in the kitchen.