Harry Gration: Widow speaks out ahead of Yorkshire Day funeral as colleague Christa Ackroyd shares hopes public will come out to say their final farewell

Mr Gration’s funeral has been poignantly scheduled to take place on August 1 - Yorkshire Day - in the city he lived in for many years.

He died suddenly last month aged 71.

On Thursday, his widow Helen said the family had been “humbled and overwhelmed” by the tributes that poured in after his death.

Mrs Gration also revealed that Harry had been living with a form of blood cancer, although it was unrelated to his death.

She wrote: “To us, he was a much loved husband and father, and although we knew he had a public life, we have been awe-struck and deeply moved by the esteem and affection in which he was held.

“Thank you so sincerely for all the many acts of kindnesses over the last few weeks. I am truly grateful and I know Harry would be too.”

She has asked for donations to Myeloma UK in lieu of flowers.

Ahead of the funeral, the vicar leading the service, Revd Canon Richard Carew, paid tribute to Mr Gration as a “gracious, generous man.”

Mr Gration was a regular worshipper of Revd Carew’s church, St Edward the Confessor in Dringhouses.

Speaking of the outpouring of tributes following Mr Gration’s death, Revd Carew said: “Shock was the first reaction for everybody, but then followed a feeling of real warmth. As a journalist it was the story that was important to Harry. He never tried to be the story himself, he told them with dignity.

“People felt they knew him - that was part of his job. Whether in person or on the television, he made you feel like he was talking to you personally.”

Revd Carew paid tribute to the work Mr Gration did in the community, and for the church where he was a regular worshipper.

“Harry wasn’t someone who wore his faith on his sleeve but it informed the person that he was. He was generous in his time and support for the church and ran Evenings With Harry Gration.

“When you lead any funeral, you are hopeful that it will honour the life of the person who has died and be a moment to give thanks for their life.”

And Mr Gration’s former Look North co-presenter Christa Ackroyd expressed her hopes that the people of Yorkshire will come out in full force to say their farewells.

She said: “I know that people will come out. I think he’d be absolutely staggered.

“Harry was so real. He brought news of some of the worst moments in Yorkshire’s history - Bradford City Fire, Hillsborough - he felt them deeply, and he felt a deep responsibility to bring the best of times and the worst of times to the public. He did that with such grace, and I think we have that connection - and that’s why people in Yorkshire were so sad. They grew up watching a man who was one of them.”

“We always tried to end Look North by raising a smile. We’d still be taking our job very seriously, but we also tried to remind people there are things to smile about. And that’s what I will try to do on Monday.”

Mr Gration's funeral will take place at 11.30am at York Minster.

Members of the public are invited to line the cortege route up Lendal and outside the Minster, and will be able to attend the service if space permits.