A FAMILY have thanked the people of Odiham for the way one of their relatives with Down's syndrome was treated.
Roger Wilkinson, of Buffins Road, Odiham, who was well-known around the village, has died at the age of 62.
His mother, Jean Hall, said: "He was the most gentle, happy, smiling, little man. He was a small man with a big heart and he had so much love to give."
Mrs Hall said things were very different when he was born.
She said: "At that time, nothing was known about Down's syndrome.
"People told me that I should put him in an institution. I was never going to let them take him when there was no reason.
"He had a wonderful life and people in Odiham treated him as one of their own. I would like to thank them for their attitude towards him."
As a child, Mr Wilkinson attended a day centre in Goat Lane, in Basingstoke, and later moved to the Winklebury Adult Centre, where he learned how to weld, garden and dance.
Around 200 people raised more than £1,000 for the charity the Twofold Trust, when they attended his funeral on January 29.
In a eulogy read out at Mr Wilkinson's funeral, his sisters Gail Williamson and Debbie Black said: "Roger was a shining example of strength and spirit, laughter and love and he is a genuine reminder of how we would like the whole world to be."
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