'A life so short, yet so meaningful' - tributes paid as much-loved 21-year-old is given a special send-off

Chloe Askey, who was well known for her work in the cattery at Thornberry Animal Sanctuary in North Anston, sadly lost her short battle with cancer on April 12, the day on which she had been due to marry her ‘soulmate’ Hakeem Patel.

Her funeral was held on Friday at Rotherham Crematorium after hundreds of people donated more than £6,500 between them to a fundraising appeal set up to help give Chloe the final farewell she deserved.

Following the funeral, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary said: “Yesterday we said our final goodbyes to our colleague and friend Chloe Megan Askey her life so short, yet so meaningful.

"For everyone that contributed to Chloe’s funeral fund her family are so truly grateful. No one prepares for the loss of a child at 21 and it is with heartfelt thanks that she was given the send-off she deserved with a beautiful service and final resting place at Rotherham Crematorium.

“We would like to thank everyone for the well wishes and donations. Due to the pandemic, numbers were limited inside the crematorium but as a team we managed to give her our own socially distanced guard of honour, accompanied by several of our canine residents. Thank you to Limelands Florist for the wonderful Thornberry Funeral Flowers. Sleep tight Chlo-Mo until we meet again.”

Chloe’s father Nathan Askey said the service was ‘beautiful’ and thanked everyone who had helped give her such a fitting send-off.

He added that a socially-distanced guard of honour by staff from Thornberry and some of their canine companions had made the occasion ‘even more special’.

The animal sanctuary where Chloe worked at the weekends had described how she oversaw hundreds of adoptions and worked hard to ensure each cat found its perfect home.

She was described following her death as the ‘most amazing young lady you could ever have the pleasure of knowing’, with tributes also paid at the time to a ‘happy, smiling person who was always so kind’ and to ‘such a lovely, caring young lady’.

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