http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/4548510.stm

Rafe Hattaway, 22, originally from Sheffield, was a fourth year student at Liverpool University.

Best to his family and brother ofcourse. 

Rafe, it’s Spooner.

I’m missing you. We didn’t really talk much in the last few years, but that doesn’t make a difference to the time we spent during Nether Green and Tapton School days. We may have taken seperate paths, changed social groups, but you’re still the guy I went to school with dressed as a cowboy. Still the guy I danced with to the Crash Bandicoot ending theme. Still the guy who messed around with a talkboy when we were thirteen:

“I see Alicia Silverstone, I pull her pants down baby. Let’s do it baby come on, and a kiss on the toilet with a trump.”

We didn’t know what that meant then, and I’m sure we still don’t. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start any more sentences with the word “still”, it’s starting to sound like a Dr. Dre song.

I firmly believe that when we pass away, we remain as a spark. Whether it starts raining at your funeral, or the bulbs start crackling, I think you’ll be communicating with us all in some way. All of your friends, old and new miss you terribly and it’s a real credit to your honest (maybe too much! ) and friendly nature to realise how many people in Sheffield alone knew you and respected you.

I’m looking forward to finding out where your electricity is.

Love your friend,

Dan x

Ray ray it’s your boy for life and beyond, Dave.

I miss you so much it hurts. I’m numb all over and im not finding remedy.

For the five years whilst pride stood between our friendship, and we pretended that our similar personalities ‘clashed’ i hadn’t found that ‘best friend’ people look for? In you Ray i found more than that; i found someone who’s given me more happy times in this world than anyone. Found someone who i have cared for as a brother, and received the same privilege. We have worked together, travelled together, played together and more (...) - and the way we did it i wouldn’t change for the world.

I know as you left us you were smiling. You were always smiling. You left doing what you loved and I’m sure you rocked it out to ‘year 3000!’ The whole of Sheffield, and afar, are ‘rocker saluting’ you right now Ray and I can already see you saluting back.

Whether we remain as a ‘spark’ or your up in the clouds; your soul lives on in all those lives that you have touched, and you my friend have touched countless lives.......

Words don’t come close to explaining the loss that I feel, or the loss that I know that we all feel without you Ray. You truly are one of a kind; I love you now and always shall.

I will look out for Sarah and Max as if they were my very own siblings. You have my word.

Dave x

Rafe, Its Jim

Rafe to all who knew you, you were a friend. You had the rare ability to pulse hapiness into anybody or situation, and you still do. I miss you Rafe, yet every time I think of you I see your face with that infectiously mischievous grin on it and cant help but smile myself.
Whilst your passing has hurt all who knew you I agree with Spooner and believe that a part of you is still with us all.

“Dont cry because its over, smile beacuse it happened”

The last time I saw you Rafe you were laughing your head off and when I consider how often I saw that sight it makes me realise just how lucky we all were to know a guy like you. 

To Max and Sarah my deepest condolence; Rafe was truly remarkable.

You were one in a million Rafe.

Jim x

To Rafe the legend,

Rafe you were an exceptional character and a true entertainer. I always said to you that all you needed was a stage and a microphone and although this never happened I feel privileged to be your friend and to have witnessed your true humour, which was extraordinary. There was never a dull moment with you and no matter how bad the party was it would be a night to remember if you where their. You really had the gift of making a room light up by just walking in, thats all you had to do.

The last time I saw you was on your birthday in Liverpool which yet again you had me in stitches with your crazy antics. But more than this will be the memory of the time we spent together in Thailand, as you defined the meaning of fun. Those beach parties and them days searching for water falls and coral will be with me forever. Thanks for those days and many others.  Gone but never forgotten.

I miss you and love you. Nobody did it like you did.

Mark
or Swede as you used to call me x