Samuel Johnson emotionally opened up about his sister during a celebration of the cancer crusader’s life – just two weeks after she died from the disease.
The actor who ran the Love Your Sister charity alongside Connie didn’t speak at the memorial, but instead a video remembering their life together was played in front of hundreds of supporters at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
‘Connie Cottonsocks, it’s been a stunning ride in life and now in death and it has indeed been my pleasure to be your Sammy Sam,’ Mr Johnson said in a voiceover during the video.
‘I remain not just your little brother but, as always very truly yours.’
During the montage, a collection of photographs were shared of the Johnson family as well as their achievements over the years and ended with footage of Connie on a rollercoaster ride when she was younger.
‘The nation celebrated you as a mum who died of cancer rather than as a warrior on some journey, which I know will make you so happy,’ Mr Johnson said during the video.
Samuel Johnson has choked back tears as he opened up about his sister during a celebration of the cancer crusader’s life – just two weeks after she died from the disease
The actor who ran the Love Your Sister charity alongside Connie spoke in front of hundreds of supporters at St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne
He appeared to be in good spirits as he laughed with friends and family as people recounted memories of his sister
The heartwarming tributes kicked off with Connie’s husband Mike Johnson, who smiled as he remembered his wife
The actor’s nails were painted black for the emotional memorial but he appeared to be in good spirits as he laughed with friends and family as people recounted memories of his sister.
‘The boys are sad, but they’re proud and I’ve got a feeling they’ll become even finer than you imagined they would,’ Mr Johnson said.
‘I don’t have to say I miss you or that you changed me for the better or that I loved you.
‘Connie there is only one thing left for me to say, thank you.’
The heartwarming tributes kicked off with Connie’s husband Mike Johnson, who smiled as he remembered his wife – and revealed to the crowd how he saw her transform for Love Your Sister.
‘It is amazing to look out at you all and say thank you for what you’ve done for Connie,’ he said.
‘Thank you for taking our Con into your hearts and wrapping your arms around this amazing woman.
‘It all mattered, every post every click every prayer – it all counted.’
The mourning husband revealed he had known Connie for 18 years – and for half of that time they were fighting one form of cancer or another.
He opened up about Connie’s second battle with cancer – the first they would fight together.
‘What we thought was a baby in the womb turned out to be a tumour we had to go from maternity to oncology – it took a long time for Con come back that,’ he said.
Hundreds of mourners packed into the St Paul’s cathedral to celebrate Connie’s life
When Connie’s story went public five years ago, the family knew Connie’s cancer was terminal.
‘Her body was like a cancer fun park all we could do was prolong ending,’ he said.
Mike said he was ‘slow’ to see why Connie’s battle needed to be in the public eye.
‘By talking about and building awareness she could stop someone else from going through the same thing.
‘She had to look beyond her own cancer and she became driven by hope and obsession.
‘Love Your sister and the village was a cushion for Con,’ he said. The service was live streamed on Facebook – wit more than 10,000 people tuning in to celebrate her life and get to know ‘the real Connie Johnson’.
A public memorial will be held for cancer crusader and Love Your Sister founder Connie Johnson on Saturday, two weeks after the mother-of-two lost her fight with the devastating disease.
Before the service Sam posted updates online – promising it would be ‘perfect’.
‘It’s going to be an absolute belter. I was tasked with this service personally and I will not f**k it up,’Samuel posted on Facebook.
A public memorial will be held for cancer crusader and Love Your Sister founder Connie Johnson on Saturday
The mother-of-two, pictured here with her young sons, died after fighting breast cancer for five years
She fought hard in the public eye raising money towards finding a cure for the disease
The mother-of-two won the hearts of Australians after she took her cancer fight public in 2012 – when she was told she had just 12 months to live.
She started the Love Your Sister charity with her brother by pulling the ‘cancer card’ shortly after – and has raised more than $7million dollars towards ‘getting rid of cancer forever’ since.
Her brother has now promised to continue the work the pair started and says he won’t go back to work until the charity has raised $10million towards ‘cancer vanquishment’.
The ‘lineup’ at the memorial service is going to be ‘exceptional’ according to Sam.
Connie’s husband Mike Johnson pictured arriving to the public service
Sam Johnson organised the memorial – and wanted it to be perfect for his sister
A selection of Connie’s closest family and friends were revealed to be speaking
The ‘Johnson’ village and the Love Your Sister village are set to come together
Carrie Bickmore is one of the speakers – and is printed alongside some of Connie’s vest friends
Details on how to help were printed on the back of the order of service
‘We’re going way beyond the brother/sister thing and are going to introduce the Johnson clan to the Village, and the Village to the Johnson clan…what could possibly go wrong?’ he said.
And there is plenty of Love Your Sister merchandise available as well, with Sam launching the Connie Cotton socks range after his sister’s death.
‘I don’t think we’re gonna run out of merch,’ he said.
Her brother, actor Sam Johnson, organised the service and says he hopes it will be ‘perfect’ revealing Connie’s husband will speak alongside The Project host Carrie Bickmore
Samuel shaved his hair in support of his sick sister and to raise money for the charity
Just before Connie died she was brought to tears as she was given an Order of Australia Medal.
Sam took to Facebook to share a picture of his sister with her medal and said ‘her eyes danced like when we were kids’ when she was given it. ‘The Governor General ‘popped in’ on Connie today.
Can you see that shiny thing on her chest?’ he wrote.
‘It’s a Medal of The Order of Australia, awarded for her services to our community and humanity! Her eyes danced like when we were kids. She looked so alive.’
He added: ‘Afterwards, she looked at me sideways, coz she can’t move her head too well, and she kept saying, in her weak and raspy voice…’Can you believe it? Can you believe it? Look what we did. We did something!”
Just before Connie died she was brought to tears as she was given an Order of Australia Medal
The brother and sister have won the approval of Australians as they publicly show their support for each other
‘Our thanks to our new mate Pete Cosgrove, for making us all laugh in amongst all the pomp. And kudos to our new Lady Cottonsocks, for being exactly who she is.
‘This is an awful time, we won’t bullshit, but please believe that she feels SO cushioned by your love and has been finding so many rainbows.’
Last month, Connie said she was ‘not there yet’, when it came to dying because she still has ‘too much to do’ and ‘the fight must go on’.
‘I want to take the kids to the circus, we’ve never been to a circus,’ she said.
She added: ‘At any moment those few little healthy pieces of liver can be taken over by cancer and at that point I go into liver failure.’
The Love Your Sister Facebook page is ‘liked’ by over 550,000 people.
The Love Your Sister Facebook page is ‘liked’ by over 550,000 people
Sam has pledged to end cancer and won’t return to acting until Love Your Sister has raised $10million