APPROPRIATELY enough for a man renowned for his accordion-playing skills, mourners were squeezed into the Crematorium to pay their last respects to a true Jersey gentleman.
The funeral of Don Dolbel, who died aged 98 last month, had a musical theme, as well as reflecting the many other highlights from a life that was certainly well-lived.
Attendees were welcomed to the strains of Bread of Heaven from the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir, while the service also featured Adele, the French folk song Sûr de la Victoire, and the 17th century English hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Mr Dolbel sang in multiple choirs and played the accordion for most of his life, with his instrument, adorned with stickers bearing Jèrriais phrases, being centre-stage at the front of his flower-adorned coffin.
As well as skydiving and wing walking in his 90s, Mr Dolbel was well-known for his detailed stories of the German rule of the Island, his love for boxing, adventurous spirit, passion for riding motorbikes and involvement in charity work and his musical abilities.
He worked in the merchant navy, as a docker on the piers, in the fields and glasshouses growing potatoes and tomatoes, and as a baker.
