St Brigid's Church was awash with bright colours on Thursday but they did not erase the pain etched on the faces of people who loved a little superhero.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The funeral service for seven-year-old Mitchell John Ray tested the strongest including his heartbroken father and mother, Jeremy and Erin Ray.
Mourners wept as they watched a photo slideshow of Mitchell from the day he was born to the day he died.
Father Greg Kennedy haltingly delivered a homily.
READ ALSO:
Mitchell won hearts across the city for his brave and almost-year-long battle with metastatic neuroblastoma, waged from Sydney with family by his side.
The community held its breath as the Ray family made plans to bring Mitchell back to Dubbo for Christmas.
He died in the children's hospice Bear Cottage on December 6 after the cancer "returned with a vengeance".
Many of the about 200 mourners who turned out to the funeral dressed in Mitchell's favourite colours, red, yellow and orange.
In a eulogy written by Mitchell's parents and delivered by Trudy Charnley, they learned of a fun-loving little boy who entertained his family by slipping into the character of Bumblebee, a robotic superhero Transformer.
Transformers, LEGO and Minecraft kept the big brother of Hannah and Connor busy.
"Although let's face it, he loved making Hannah scream just as much as he loved cuddling with the king of cuteness as he called Connor," Ms Charnley said.
She told of Mitchell experiencing pain, invasive procedures and hospital boredom in the final year of his life.
"..he never complained, never questioned why he had to suffer through it all," Ms Charnley said.
Mitchell's family placed flowers on his white coffin when it was placed in a hearse.
Balloons, including one of Bumblebee, were released into the sky before he was driven away.
