A will with a difference: Flying doctor’s moving gesture from beyond the grave

A caring nurse has made the ultimate generous act from beyond the grave by bequeathing a chunk of his estate to those who attended his funeral in 2017.

Former Royal Flying Doctor Service manager Andrew Wells died in 2017 at the age of 44, but left an unusual message in his will – requesting that a third of his estate be split between anyone who attended his farewell service in Brisbane, The Courier Mail reports.

Andrew gave his cousin and estate executor Christopher Wells the job to keep a log of all the loved ones who took the time to say a final goodbye to him.

The funeral was reportedly held on October 27, 2017, at the Pinnaroo Crematorium Chapel at Bridgemann Downs in Brisbane’s north, with his parents Margaret and Graham claiming that around 200 people were in attendance.

Now, two years on, the family is hoping to track down the attendees to grant them their allocated part of the estate, “to say thank you for their support and love”.

While the law firm representing Andrew’s estate has a “good record” of the funeral attendees, along with footage from the proceedings, they do not have contact details for many who attended, according to The Courier Mail.

In hopes of tracking down everyone in attendance, a notice has since been published in the newspaper calling for anyone who was at the funeral to come forward.

“Would any person who attended the funeral (and who has not already provided their details to the executor or to his solicitors), please contact the solicitors noted below giving their full name, address, contact details and their relationship or connection with the deceased,” it reads.

The gesture has been praised by friends and family, who claimed Andrew was a “lovely” and “very smart young man”.

Speaking to The Courier Mail about the decision, his secretary from when he worked as Logan Hospital’s nursing director of education, Sharon Kelly, said it wasn’t a surprise to hear of Andrew’s will.

“I could see him doing something like that,” she explained. “He was a lovely man, very generous with his time, very engaging and funny.”

Meanwhile, his dad Graham said they are still struggling with the loss of their son two years on.

“Australia lost a very smart young man who could have achieved a lot more,” he told news outlet. “It’s been really hard and we think about Andrew every day.”

Another chunk of Andrew’s estate was reportedly left to a friend in London, while he wanted another third to go to a charity supporting gay men who are struggling with depression. Meanwhile, his piano and musical equipment was left to Christopher Wells.

Do you have a will? Have you ever heard of someone doing something like this?