07/06/2024
From - Ashton Lawson,
It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the passing of Darran Ferre, a man who lived and breathed tennis like I've seen no other, yet coached so much more than just the game he loved.
He was a mentor who had a profound affect on his students and people around him, who had a philosophy and goal of not just making his students better at tennis, but making them better people in general. In this way, I considered him to be a life coach, disguised as a tennis coach.
With a seemingly infinite number of stories of both mistakes and successes, both on and off the court, he was happy to share his experiences and lend an ear to our troubles, or simply be the shoulder we could lean on when we needed it the most. And I always appreciated how his advice was based on what was in our own hearts, sprinkled with a bit of his no-nonsense world view.
True to his own thoughts about growing old and one day being unable to really play his favourite sport, he seemingly passed-away peacefully on Friday morning without having to deal with the physical inconveniences associated with age that he very clearly was not looking forward-to.
As of now, we are still awaiting the hospital's final consensus on Darran's passing, and we expect his body to be released by Monday, with a funeral to follow some days after.
Darran's wife Maitree is still in shock, however she's staying strong with the support she's receiving here in Chiang Kham. As a result, we respectfully request that only words of condolences are sent to her directly.
For those wanting to know more about the overall situation and also the upcoming funeral date, please contact Dear (Sumitra Sumran), as she will be directly assisting in funeral arrangements. For any updates, we'll be sure to comment down below.
It is a sad day for all of us who considered Darran a friend and even as family, but it's important that we remember him for the good he brought to us as well, and smile knowing that he touched our lives at all.
Rest in peace, Darran. Hope there's a pristine grass court awaiting you on the other side.
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As an update, I've added a photo to the comments below with the official announcement for Darran's funeral arrangements.
There will be a Monk Ceremony on Wednesday June 5th at 8:00pm, another Monk Ceremony on Thursday June 6th at 10:00am, followed by the actual funeral at 1pm the same day, all held at Phra That Sob Van Temple in Chiang Kham, Phayao in the North of Thailand.
We would be honoured to have you all join the family and pay our respects to this great man. For those of you unable to attend in person, it would mean so much if you prayed with us during the ceremonies, no matter where you are in the world.
