John Alder (as well as pal Liam Sweeney) was among the 298 people who died when the Malaysia Airlines plane MH17 was brought down over Ukraine in July.
Many memories of a cracking guy
For weeks many Toon fans have been asking when the funeral will take place, because it was wrongly reported the body came back to Tyneside in August.
John only missed one Newcastle United game HOME and AWAY since 1973, a fixture against Watford when he attended his father's funeral.
I'm sure many Toon away travellers have their own tales to tell about the most loyal Newcastle fan ever.
He was called the "Undertaker" because he always wore the Newcastle colours in a black suit and white shirt.
A funeral for Liam was held in August, attended by Alan Pardew, John Carver and club captain Fabricio Coloccini.
The lengthy repatriation process was caused by delays in accessing the crash site due to the ongoing fighting in the area, and the difficult process of identifying remains.
Mr Alder's family issued a statement through Durham Police, saying he has been brought back to the North East.
The statement: "The family of MH17 victim John Alder would like it to be known that John's body has now been returned to Gateshead and would like to express their gratitude for all the support and good wishes received during this long and difficult period.
"Preparations are now being made for a private funeral service for John's family and friends later this month."
A funeral for Liam was held in August, attended by Alan Pardew, John Carver and club captain Fabricio Coloccini.