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Tom Parker was laid to rest on April 19 in London, three weeks after he lost his battle with brain cancer. Tom’s bandmates from The Wanted attended his funeral, and Max George even gave a eulogy to mourn the 33-year-old. During his moving speech, Max remembered Tom for his love of laughing, as well as his “feistiness” and love of music.
“It is with deepest sadness that we are here today, but I’m goin to try and say something from us boys that will make you smile about Tom,” Max said, according to The Mirror. Max called Tom his “brother” in the speech, and gushed that he always made his bandmates “smile” from the very beginning. “His love for music and strive for success outmatched any of us,” Max continued. “His feistiness outmatched anyone on the planet. He’s the only member of The Wanted that has had a punch up with every member of The Wanted.”
In addition to Max, Tom’s other bandmates — Jay McGuinness, Siva Kaneswaran and Nathan Sykes — were also in attendance at the funeral. They all served as pallbearers, helping to carry Tom’s coffin. In his eulogy, Max praised Tom for doing everything “with the best intentions”, and admitted that he was able to “get away with everything” because of who he was.
“I could stand here and say so much about Tom, but you’ll all have your memories about him,” Max added. “One thing I’ll always remember is his laugh. He loved laughing at people. We experienced that nearly every day. All I’ve got to say is he left us far too early and we’ll miss him so much. I think the heartbreak shared today is a credit to the love Tom spread around the world. The people outside, the people here today, all over the world. You rest easy, mate.”
Tom was married to his wife, Kelsey Hardwick, and had two young children at the time of his death. He first shared his brain cancer news with fans in October 2020, and succumbed to the disease a year and a half later, passing away on March 30, 2022.