Tributes have been paid to a Royal Navy engineer who died suddenly in the night for no clear reason just weeks before his 21^st birthday.

Around 2000 mourners gathered at St Philip’s church, Mill Road, Romsey, Cambridge on Wednesday for the full military funeral of Alex “Robbie” Roberts, a popular marine engineering mechanic who “always had a smile on his face.” 

Alex was at home at his parents’ pub, The Brook, Mill Road, on annual leave when he failed to wake up on September 29.  His death came as a terrible shock to his many friends, his family and navy colleagues. 

Alex’s devastated mother Fiona, 40, said, “He simply went to bed and he never woke up. 

“They have not been able to establish any cause of death, so that’s undergoing further investigation at the moment.  We just have no idea as yet and may never know.” 

Alex, who worked on board HMS Nottingham, based in Portsmouth, Hampshire had been enjoying the end of a month’s leave when the tragedy occurred. 

Dad Paul, 44, said: “He’d been on holiday with friends in Magaluf, and he’d been back here for three weeks, just enjoying his leave and spending time with his family.” 

Alex, whose father is an ex-serviceman, had always wanted to join the Navy, since going on board HMS York with his uncle when he was 14 years old. 

Fiona said: “He always wanted to be in the Navy from the time he was a young boy, and he loved it,” said Fiona. 

Alex was born in Portsmouth on October 31 1984.  His family, originally from Cambridge, returned to the city when he was aged 18 months.  He went to St Philip’s School, Vinery Way, Romsey, from the age of five, and Coleridge Community College, Radegund Road, Coleridge, until he was 16. 

He joined the Navy three years ago, and recently travelled to Egypt, and New York, as well as serving in Iraq. 

Friends and family described him as someone who was popular, fun loving and always cheerful. 

Paul said: “Whatever he did, he did it with a smile on his face.  I don’t think anybody he ever met had a bad thing to say about him.” 

Fiona said: “Everyone we spoke to at the funeral, when you mentioned him by name, they just smiled and I think that just sums him up.” 

Although his main passion was the Navy, his parent said he enjoyed everything he tried his hand at, whether it was golf, football, fishing, or running.  Alex was also very close to his two brothers, railway worker Daniel, 23, and 16-year-old Craig, a student at Long Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. 

A coach-load of his colleagues attended the funeral, and his best friends from the Navy were the pallbearers.  His coffin was draped with the Union Jack and carried a sailor’s cap. 

Fiona said: “The lads and girls that came from Portsmouth were just fantastic. 

“They did a fantastic job.  They really did us proud.  They showered us with gifts and memories, and they had done so many thoughtful things to show us how much they cared for him and how popular he was. 

“The captain said if they’d been able to, they would have brought many more, but they could only bring one coach.” 

Paying tribute to Alex and the funeral, Chief Petty Officer Taff Dorrey said he had always “lived life to the full.” 

He said: “If there was a laugh or a joke going on, he always seemed to be involved.” 

Alex’s brother Craig movingly recounted a day he will always remember when his brother took him to the Isle of Wight. 

He told the packed church: “Most of all, I think everyone will remember Alex for the way he had a smile for everything.  He always looked on the bright side. 

“This is why I will always miss him, my brother, my best friend.” 

Charity offer support

Alex’s parents have been collecting donations for CRY – a charity which offers support to families who have suffered a loss to Sudden Death Syndrome. 

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) is an umbrella term used for the many different causes of cardiac arrest in young people. 

Up to eight people a week in the UK die from SDS, making it the most common cause of unexpected death in those under 30. 

One victim was Daniel Yorath, brother of ITV’s sports presenter Gabby Logan.  Around 700,000 people in the UK suffer from arrhythmia – a disturbance in the heart’s rhythm – in which severity can range from a minor health inconvenience to a fatal rhythm disturbance. 

The most common causes of arrhythmia include heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart valve disorders and congenital heart defects. 

Symptoms a patient with arrhythmia experience include palpitations, dizziness and blackouts or they may occur only as a sudden death.