Hundreds of people have packed out the funeral for a young Gore man who died suddenly in his sleep last week.
The cause of 22-year-old Jonas Lindsay’s death is yet to be determined, and his family said it could be weeks or even a year before they have answers.
It was standing room only at his service in Gore this morning as loved ones flooded in to say their final goodbyes to a man described as “fearless”, “cheeky”, and “unapologetically himself”.
Jonas’ mother, Megan Lindsay, found him dead in his bed on Thursday morning after he failed to wake up for work. She told the Herald he looked peaceful, which gave his family comfort.
At the service today, she said Jonas was the member of their family who loved being the centre of attention.
“For all who met him here on Earth, he was a total whirlwind and a bloke like no other,” she said, adding he was “a funny, crazy, ranga man-child”.
“Jonas reminded me that life doesn’t have to be that serious all the time, and that it’s okay to live a little. His character, humour, kind heart and crazy mullet will be missed around Southland dearly.”
She said her son always had a “cheeky twinkle in his eye” and a beautiful smile on his face.
“I have so many people sharing about his grin and his kindness and the way he connected with everyone, and others remembered his big energy, his humour, and his unforgettable presence.”
She recalled memories of Jonas’ older sister, Maria, teaching him to ride a bike as a toddler.
“She taught him to ride the tiny two-wheeler before he could barely touch the ground. I have a clear memory of her pushing him along and saying in her 3-year-old voice, ‘Pedal, Jonas, pedal!’ And he has been ever since.”
His parents have described him as being passionate about all things involving speed, including mountain biking and cars.
“[Jonas’ father] Richard believes that when God had finished creating Jonas, he sat back, chuckled, and said, ‘This will be fun.’”
Megan cried as she shared her final words about Jonas.
“We don’t know why our son has died. We have a lot of questions. We may or may not get answers, but that isn’t going to change the fact that he is no longer with us. God knows where we’re at and what we’re feeling, and he wants to be with us and give us strength.
“You gave so much. Jonas, we love you and will never forget you.”
His sister, Maria, also spoke at the funeral, saying Jonas was her brother, and “so much more”.
“He was a friend and sometimes a real pain in the arse, but he was ours and we loved him dearly,” she said.
“Today we grieve, but we also give thanks. Thanks for the years we had with him, for the memories that make us smile even through the tears, and for the love that remains. So goodbye for now, Jonas.”
She said he would “always be my brother, my friend, and a piece of who I am”.
Other loved ones also shared heartfelt tributes for Jonas, saying “your huge smile always lit up the space around you” and calling him “a quirky, fun-loving, thrill-seeking dude”.
His partner also shared a statement, which was read out on her behalf.
“It’s hard to put into words what Jonas meant to me, because he wasn’t just someone I loved, he was my whole world,” she said.
“I have countless memories I could share, but there’s some that highlight his personality perfectly, one of those being a trip with some friends.
“At one point in the night, he came across a complete stranger eating a pie. He decided it looked good and without hesitation asked for a bite.
“He didn’t just take a wee bite either, he took a massive one, handed it back like nothing had happened, and carried on as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“That was him, though: fearless, cheeky, and always able to make everyone laugh.”
She also commented on his driving, saying she couldn’t recall a single trip where he didn’t “slide at least one corner”.
“We’d be going home from getting groceries and in the two minutes between there and home, our food would end up everywhere, but I wouldn’t trade those drives for anything.”
She said she would remember his love most of all.
“His love was loud, it was certain, and it was constant. He changed my life in ways I’ll never be able to explain.”
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.