A Culdrose weatherman who grew up in Porthleven and spent much of his career in Helston died just over three weeks before he was due to retire.

Naval officer and meteorologist Lieutenant Commander Andrew John Moys had never wanted to leave the Royal Navy, with ill health the only reason behind his impending early retirement at the age of 52, and his death on March 1 meant that he never actually had to.

More than 300 people attended his funeral service – a testament to how much he will be missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

The father-of-two – who was also chair of governors at Porthleven School - enjoyed a career spanning almost 30 years that included working for NATO in Belgium and time in the USA, where he met his wife Tracey. They went on to have two daughters, Rachael and Bryony.

However, his life changed forever in 2015 when on March 9 that year Andrew’s immune system attacked his spinal cord. It left him with an incomplete spinal cord injury - diagnosed as transverse myelitis - which resulted in partial paralysis and chronic severe spinal cord pain, requiring him to become a reluctant wheelchair user.

Tracey said: "He met this challenge with a fair share of stubbornness, determination, and courage — never giving up, even in the darkest moments."

She described the medical staff at RNAS Culdrose, Defence Military Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court and Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske as “supportive beyond all expectations.” The services charity Help for Heroes, and particularly the Royal Naval Officers Charity, also provided a lifeline with their individual and direct support for Andrew and the family.

Tracey said: "Rachael and Bryony and I are proud of the way Andrew faced his challenges with steadfast determination, his goal was to get on with life and live it to the full. He wanted to share life experiences with us and not be defined by his lack of mobility."

Falmouth Packet:

Andrew was due to retire from the Royal Navy on March 27 this year after his fourth medical board. He never wanted to leave the Navy and could not imagine anything could ever be as fulfilling or enjoyable.

In a twist of fate, on March 1, in the early hours of the morning and during the biggest snow storm Cornwall has had in a decade, Andrew died unexpectedly of a heart attack, thereby ensuring he never had to retire from his beloved Royal Navy.

A spokesperson for RNAS Culdrose said: “It was abundantly clear from the attendance at Andrew's funeral, that he was loved, respected and cherished by many.

“The full military funeral saw many from the world of naval meteorology, past and present, return to where they, like Andrew had started their careers. Additionally, many of his shipmates, the aviators who had relied on his accurate predictions, were also there to pay their respects.”

The Fleet Air Arm at Culdrose honoured him with a fly past at the Porthleven Cemetery, his final resting place. Andrew grew up in Porthleven, having moved there with his family when he was ten months old, when his father – also in the navy – was posted to Culdrose. He attended the primary school in the village and later studied at Helston School.

From the tender age of four, he wanted nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps but completed his education at Queen Mary College in London and graduated with a first-class honours degree in geography in 1987.

After beginning a PhD and working for Somerset County Council, Andrew joined the Royal Navy in September 1988. His 29-year career began with naval officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth. Much of his service was spent at Culdrose or in the southwest, with his first appointment as education and resettlement officer at RNAS Culdrose.

He trained as a meteorological and oceanographic officer before deploying to the Devonport-based frigates HMS Coventry and HMS Beaver as their forecaster. He then returned to Culdrose as squadron meteorologist and oceanographer for 820 Naval Air Squadron before joining the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious serving during the Bosnian conflict.

Back ashore and a job the naval headquarters in Northwood, Middlesex awaited, before more sea time joining HMS Ocean which included operating during the Sierra Leone conflict.

Andrew was selected for the coveted US Exchange appointment and Master’s Degree course at the United Sates Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He then returned to the UK for more senior roles, where he could pass on his knowledge and experience, working for Flag Officer Sea Training in Devonport, as the senior meteorologist at Culdrose as well as a NATO appointment in Belgium.

Andrew met his wife Tracey, a then serving US Naval Officer, at the US Naval Postgraduate School in 2002. They were married in March 2005. She left the USN and emigrated to the UK in the summer of 2006. Their daughter Rachael was born in October of that year and Bryony was born two and a half years later in March of 2009.

Outside of his navy life, Andrew was a lover of sports cars, Top Gear, Lego, Plymouth Gin, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, fancy watches, springer spaniels and his girls.

The family would now like all who knew Andrew to continue to remember him and support the charities that provided so much help during his illness, namely Help For Heroes and the Royal Naval Officers Charity.

A remembrance book has been set up for anyone who would like to leave a message of love, support and celebration for Andrew Moys and his family, at theonlinebookcompany.com/OnlineBooks/RememberingAndrew/Content/Filler.