Fans and former colleagues turned up to a chapel in Reading, south east England, to pay their respects to the puppet master, who died on Christmas Day (25Dec12), aged 83.
His son Jamie Anderson delivered a eulogy at the funeral, which was relayed on speakers to a crowd of about 100 outside, and was followed by a reception in Henley-on-Thames.
According to the BBC, the coffin arrived with a replica of Anderson’s famous Thunderbird 2 aircraft made with flowers, while an arrangement of the Thunderbirds theme tune was played for guests.
Jamie insists his family has been “overwhelmed” by fans who have reached out to offer support since Anderson’s passing.
He says, “There’s been hundreds of emails from around the world and it’s amazing to see how far and wide my dad had an impact.
“Two things have really shone through – people were so grateful for the gift of entertainment he gave to children while the science-fiction side opened up a whole new world to many. For some, it led them into making career decisions, pursuing dreams of a life in technology or space exploration.”
Anderson, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2010, also created hit kids TV adventure shows Stingray and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.
