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The daughter of a "hardworking and friendly" hospitality worker who passed away suddenly last month has thanked the local community for raising enough money to bring her father’s body back to Romania where he will "rest in peace forever".
58-year-old Mihai Șandru, who was nicknamed 'Nea Mihai' by his colleagues at the Boat House in St Aubin, died of a heart attack in mid-January.
His daughter Andreea Șandru set up a fundraiser to cover the cost of his repatriation as he did not qualify for Income Support.
Giving an update to the Romanian community, Andreea said that multiple companies estimated that repatriation would cost between £8,000 and £10,000.
However, she said that Maillard's had offered to help with a price of £5,000, plus an additional £500 for a Romanian company to transport the body to Mihai's home town.
The fundraiser collected £4,000 in donations, with the Boat House and the Government covering the remaining £1,500.
Pictured: Mihai had lived in Jersey for four years and was described as a hardworking and friendly man.
Andreea said: “My heartfelt thanks to all of you who joined me on my arrival to Jersey to carry out the necessary formalities for the repatriation of my father’s body, for the hospitality, the incredible support you have shown me!”
“Your kindness of everyone with information and donations allowed my father to return back to our homeland to rest in peace forever.”
Andreea, who is based in Germany, was especially grateful for the emotional, financial and administrative support provided by the Romanian community on her arrival to the island.
"When I came here, the Romanian community and association were really helpful giving me information and helping me with whatever they can.”
She described her father as "a good man, hard-working and friendly”.
“Everybody who knew him [said] beautiful words about him," she added.
"He was the kind of person that was always there to help. He always had a joke in his pocket."
The Manager of the Boat House, Cristian Sufer, paid tribute to Mihai, who he recalled would lend a hand with translation for Greek-speaking employees, having previously lived in Greece himself.
"He was a lovely man," he told Express.
"He was a very good employee and a friend of everybody".
More than £1,700 raised to bring popular Boat House worker home
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