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A local family has launched a fundraiser to bring the body of their "kind" father back from The Gambia, where he sadly passed away whilst enjoying his retirement.
Roy White, who was born and raised in Jersey, recently passed away while in the West African country.
It will cost around £10,000 to return Roy's body to the UK, so his family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost.
Roy's daughter Laura White said: "My father was born and raised in Jersey.
"He grew up at Nicki Park at Grands Vaux, and played for the island team in his early twenties as a striker."
Roy worked for the States of Jersey for over 25 years, before retiring in 2019.
He then decided to spend some time in the sunnier climates of The Gambia.
"He knew that both his children were young, and thought he would travel before his children decided to give him grandchildren," explained Laura.
"He made the decision a couple of months ago that it was time to come home, and was due to be moving back [to Jersey] on a permanent basis in March next year.
"When we would chat, he would tell me how excited he was to see the changing seasons again."
But Roy sadly passed away before he could make the move back to Jersey.
Laura explained that, as cremation is illegal in The Gambia, the family have decided to repatriate Roy's body back to Jersey to be able to hold a service at the island's crematorium.
This will be followed by a wake at the Wellington Pub to celebrate Roy's life.
She said: "My father was a kind man. He would do his upmost to ensure that his family and friends were happy.
"You couldn't walk through town without him saying 'hello' to every other person who passed, explaining how he knew them."
Laura added: "Our friends and family have been very supportive, donating what they can to help us, and sharing the Go Fund Me link with their friends and family.
"We feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives willing to help us."
Donations can be made via Laura's GoFundMe fundraising page HERE.
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