Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler will be laid to rest following a celebration of life service and public procession, after her death at age 75 in Portugal on July 8. The Total Eclipse Of The Heart singer, born Gaynor Hopkins, died in a hospital in Portugal, months after being treated in intensive care following emergency intestinal surgery that required an induced coma.
Funeral Details Announced
Tyler’s family announced funeral details via a notice in the South Wales Evening Post. A celebration of her life will be held in Swansea next month, with the public invited to line the streets as her body returns from a local funeral parlour on August 15. The celebration service will take place at Swansea Minster (St Mary’s Church) on August 17 at 12pm.
Procession Route and Schedule
The notice states: “Resting at William Pressdee Funeralcare, Mumbles until she returns to her home, Fernhill, on Saturday 15th August at 3.30pm – those who wish to pay their respects are invited to line Newton Road, Mumbles from 3.15pm.” It adds that after the celebration, Tyler will return to her hometown, traveling through Skewen at approximately 1.20pm en route to a private family service of committal and farewell. The family requests family flowers only.
Charity Donations in Lieu of Flowers
In lieu of flowers, donations are invited to two charities Tyler served as patron: Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales and Cerebral Palsy Cymru. The notice concludes: “Her legacy lives on in the timeless songs that made her a legend.”
Career Highlights and Legacy
Tyler achieved international fame in the 1980s with her hit single Total Eclipse Of The Heart, which topped charts in the UK and US. The album Faster Than The Speed Of Night, featuring that track, became her only UK number one album. Known for her husky voice, she released many other hits, including Holding Out For A Hero, It’s A Heartache, and If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man). She represented the UK in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, with Believe In Me, finishing 19th.
