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Memorial to Ben Hana on Courtenay Place - Source: Fairfax -
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Wellington businessman Gareth Morgan has offered to pay for the funeral of Blanket Man - Ben Hana.
Hana, 54, possibly Wellington's most well-known vagrant, died in Wellington Hospital on Sunday afternoon. The cause of his death is not known.
Yesterday Hana's daughter Renee Temaari said funeral and burial plans were yet to be confirmed but would happen in Wellington this week. There would be a private ceremony for family followed by a public service. Hana left behind no money for funeral costs and the family did not know how they would they would pay for it all.
Morgan, who is a part owner of the Wellington Phoenix, said this morning he had no idea what a funeral service cost, but he was prepared to foot the bill for Hana's family.
''I don't know what a funeral costs, I've got no idea. Do you? I can't imagine it's too much.
''They (the family) obviously haven't got the means to do it by the sounds of it... so I'll do that."
Morgan said his dealings with Hana were limited, but felt he deserved a proper funeral.
''I live not too far from Courtenay Pl so I walk through there a lot and I see him a lot and I talk to him a lot...
''I felt sad for him really, because I don't think he was in
control (of his life) in a lot of ways.''
''[However] he's a Wellingtonian like the rest of us isn't he?
We're all one community.''
Temaari said this morning the support the family had received following her father's death was overwhelming and they would accept Morgan's offer.
"Oh my god. I'm about to cry, it's just awesome, there's not even a word for it.
"We have found it quite overwhelming to go through this especially with who he was. But getting everyone's help has just been amazing."
A coffin was donated by Tender Rest in Petone yesterday, she said.
The family were meeting with a funeral director today to discuss arrangements.
Hana's brother, Tony Hana, a Nelson fisherman, heard about the death on the radio on Sunday.
He planned to travel to Wellington for the funeral despite having only limited contact with Hana in the past few years.
Cousin Charles Hana yesterday said it had been a couple of years since he'd last seen Hana and he had seemed to be in a bad way then.
"I'd imagine he'd contracted quite a lot of things, he didn't look after himself. There were times when I would have suspected he got pneumonia. He wasn't well.
"I wonder what was his purpose behind his actions. He came from a very good family, it wasn't as though he lived in poverty.
"If there were provisions for him to live a better life I don't think he would have taken it."
A Wellington Hospital spokeswoman said Hana's death had been referred to the coroner.
A shrine to Hana on Courtenay Place grew as people added flowers
and tributes. Messages were scribbled on walls and on cards,
including "thanks for standing for what you believe in" and "love
to the man in the blanket".
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