Hundreds of mourners gathered in Meulebeke to bid a final farewell to Ellen Casteleyn, a 41-year-old police inspector who died on November 5 following a long battle with an incurable illness, Newspaper reported.
Rather than a traditional funeral, family, friends, and colleagues organized a two-hour life celebration filled with stories, music, and tears at aula De Aster. The sun broke through the clouds during the service, a detail attendees viewed as a comforting sign of her presence, according to Nieuwsblad.
Casteleyn, who lived in Kluisbergen and originally hailed from Kachtem near Izegem, worked as a research inspector for the RIHO police zone, GVA reported. She gained wider public attention in late September when she appeared on the VRT television program Kristel to speak about her terminal cancer diagnosis alongside fellow participant Chloë Van Den Broecke.
Before her death, Casteleyn focused her remaining energy on creative projects and leaving memories for her six-year-old son, Rafa. She collaborated with Van Den Broecke on a children’s book titled Rafa, the little adventurer, telling the story of a small adventurer who learns that setbacks can still lead to a beautiful journey, GVA reported.
The life celebration began and ended with the sounding of The Last Post to honor her police career, while Xavier Rudd’s song Magic played to encourage guests to appreciate small moments, Newspaper reported. Her brother Davy shared warm childhood memories, and school friend Kimberly remembered her ability to bring people together.
Known for her passion for ceramics, Casteleyn fashioned her own funeral urn inside the garden studio she had built at her home, Newspaper reported. Colleagues from her police corps highlighted her resilience and dedication, noting that she continued working despite her failing health.
Reflecting on her final months, Casteleyn noted in interviews for GVA that she felt remarkably well at the start of the year, cycling 125 kilometers for a cancer charity event in the spring and backpacking in Japan with her son in March.
“Life often throws difficult things your way. And precisely because of that, you experience unexpected adventures along the way,” Casteleyn wrote in her self-designed mourning notice, GVA reported. It is not about the final destination, but about who you are along the way.
At the conclusion of the service, a recorded video message from Casteleyn played for the attendees, Newspaper reported. In the recording, she recounted the experiences the illness took from her alongside the moments she managed to cherish.
“There were so many beautiful things that they ultimately always prevailed. So enjoy life and take care of each other,” Casteleyn said in her closing message, Newspaper reported.
Worth a look