Widow's funeral tribute to 'beautiful soul' pastor

The widow of a pastor killed by a falling sign at a religious festival in West Sussex has described him as a "beautiful soul" at his funeral.

Robert Guanco, 41, had been a pastor at Jesus the Living Water Church in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Six other people were injured during the incident at the Big Church Festival in Wiston Park, near Steyning, on Friday August 28, four of whom were taken to hospital for treatment.

Isaeli, Guanco's widow, told the service he had "never wasted a minute of his life" and was "overwhelmed" by the support she had received since his death.

"Pastor Robert was more than a bible study leader, mentor, teacher and close friend," said one mourner, who described him "a beautiful soul who touched our lives profoundly".

"We all looked up to him because of his faith and dedication."

They explained that Guanco was referred to by everyone as 'Kuya Robert" - 'Big Brother Robert' in Filipino.

"He set a beautiful example, never took things for granted and always made people feel valued. We'll carry that with us the rest of our lives," they added.

"What pains us most though is that we'd didn't have the chance to tell him one last time how much he meant to us.

"He will be deeply missed and never forgotten."

A fundraising page for Guanco's widow and daughter has so far raised nearly £242k.

When the incident at Wiston Park occurred, witnesses described people rushing to lift the heavy sign, which read "Everything's Unmissable", after it was blown over in the wind.

Organisers at the Christian festival, which was founded in 2009, were said to have been "heartbroken" by events.

This week, Horsham District Council - the lead investigatory authority into what happened - sent its condolences to Guanco's family and friends.

"We are continuing our health and safety investigations and a number of lines of inquiry are still being pursued," said a spokesperson.

"No further information is available at this time."

The government's health and safety executive said it had given "specialist assistance" in the local authority's investigation into the death.

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