Shattering scenes at funeral for beloved footy player who died aged just 23 as the woman he was going to spend his life with delivers heartbreaking tribute
The 23-year-old died on June 12, and his girlfriend Phoebe Dean helped send him off with a heartbreaking tribute at the service in the Queensland town of Surat on Wednesday.
Fechner's death shattered the footy communities in the Queensland towns of Roma and Surat, as well as Toowoomba, where he won the best and fairest award while playing for the Southern Suburbs Tigers.
'This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do because how do you say goodbye to your whole world?' Dean told mourners at the service.
'This is not how our story was supposed to end.
'We had plans, we had dreams, and now I'm left trying to find words for a love so big, so real, that it feels like it should never be spoken in goodbyes.
'I'm standing here with a shattered heart trying to honour someone who made life worth living.
'Coby was an will always be my heart, my home, my safe life.
'He was my once-in-a-lifetime, gentle but strong, kind but fierce when it mattered.
'He loved me with his whole heart, never held back, not with me and not with anyone lucky to be a part of his life.'
Fechner's mother Wrnita read from a letter Cody wrote to her and told the mourners, 'Coby always had a loving and compassionate nature, just like his father,' News Corp reported.
'It was something I saw in him every day.'
The talented footballer's sister Eden said she loved her brother 'in every way possible'.
'Cobs, I will love and miss you today, tomorrow and always, until we meet again.'
Prior to the service, the Southern Suburbs Tigers remembered Fechner in a touching statement on Facebook.
'It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our own, Coby Fechner,' it read.
'Coby was more than just a valued member of our club—he was a steady presence, a true professional, and a kind soul who touched the lives of everyone at both our Senior and Junior Clubs.
'His dedication, warmth, and humor made a lasting impact, and his absence will be felt deeply by all who had the privilege to know him.'
That tribute drew heartfelt responses from other Queensland clubs and footy competitions, including the Warwick Cowboys, the Gundiwindi Boars, Brothers Toowoomba and Toowoomba Oztag.
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