Farewells for Hudson pilot

Danielle Grenahan lost the love of her life. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The fiancee of the Kiwi pilot killed over the Hudson River has described him as the love of her life that she was lucky to have.

American Danielle Grenahan was flanked by about 100 mourners at the North Shore Memorial Park yesterday to farewell her fiance of three years Jeremy Clarke.

Clarke, 32, was one of nine killed in the collision over the Hudson River in New York on August 9.

Grenahan, 29, was wearing the diamond ring Clarke proposed to her with just before Christmas last year. They planned to marry in New York on July 10 next year.

Grenahan told the Herald on Sunday the marriage proposal came out of the blue.

"He surprised me with the ring. He had so wanted to take me out to a nice dinner."

But Clarke had worked all day and was exhausted. He fell asleep on the couch so Grenahan cooked dinner. But when they went to bed Clarke popped the question. "He looked at my face and touched my chin. He put the box on my shoulder and said 'I want you to be my wife'."

Grenahan said the proposal mirrored the first time Clarke told her he loved her. "He said he wanted to see my face. He was the love of my life. I had what many people don't get to have. I was lucky."

After yesterday's memorial service the coffin was carried to the waiting hearse and Grenahan, carrying a picture of her and Clarke together, placed a lily on the coffin and gave the coffin a kiss goodbye.

His mother Beatrice sobbed as she placed a white rose on the coffin and kissed it, murmuring "my baby, my baby".

Earlier Grenahan told the packed congregation "I love you Jeremy, absolutely and completely."

Grenahan said her fiance had been "honoured" and was particularly thankful of the Air New Zealand crew who flew her and his body back to New Zealand after the accident. "Words cannot express the gratitude I feel."

Clarke's body was welcomed into the service by the Simple Minds song Belfast Child.

Later the congregation sang another of his favourites, Wagon Wheel.

His father, Roger Clarke, said his son was popular in America. It took the family more than three hours to thank mourners who came to pay their respects in New York.

Jeremy's sister Selina described her older brother as "the best guardian angel one could ever ask for. He inspired as all."

Clarke's body was carried out of the chapel to the tune of Don McGlashan's Dominion Road.

Family and friends then watched as three helicopters from the North Shore Aero Club flew over.

The three pilots dipped their choppers in a bow as a sign of respect to Clarke.

As they disappeared in the distance Grenahan and Clarke's family and friends released yellow helium balloons.

Written on a photo of Clarke, Grenahan left a few last words for her fiance: "All my love forever, my baby. Danielle XOXO."

* Transcript of an air crash

The controller asks the Piper, tail number N71MC, to report its altitude.

11.50:05

Piper pilot: "Climbing out of four hundred."

Teterboro controller: "Traffic 11 o'clock and two miles, northwest bound one thousand (feet), a helicopter."

Piper pilot: "Seven one mike charlie, lookin'."

Teterboro controller to Piper: "Helicopter has you in sight."

Piper pilot: "Thank you, sir."

11.50:41

Teterboro controller phones woman from airport operations centre.

Controller: "Do we have plenty of gas for the grill?"

Operations: "Huh?"

Controller: "I said, we got plenty of gas in the grill?"

Operations: "It kinda sucks that we can't, we won't be able to do it today."

Controller: "fire up the cat." (a reference to a dead cat found earlier at the airport).

Operations: "Ooh, disgusting. Augh, that thing was disgusting."

Controller: "Chinese people do it, so why can't we?"

Operations: "Augh, stop it."

Controller: (laughter).

11.51:17

Controller, to the Piper pilot: "One mike charlie, start a left turn to join the Hudson River."

Piper pilot: "One mike charlie."

[ ... ]

11.53:07

Teterboro controller says to the operations office: "Damn."

Operations: "What's the matter ... "

Controller: "Yeah, let me straighten stuff out."

11.53:10

Plane and helicopter collide.

11.55:17

Newark controller: "I think he went down in the Hudson."