A man died from a broken heart just days after his beloved wife.

When Richard Beard’s wife Margaret died, the retired builder, of Wiston Road, Whitehawk, “gave up hope” and passed away himself less than a week later from a heart attack.

The couple’s sons, Mark and Paul, said they are convinced Mr Beard, known as Dick, had died of a broken heart after losing his wife of 56 years.

Mark, 52, said: “He wasn’t a man who expressed his emotions much but we feel like it was his way of finally showing how much he loved her.

“After mum died my dad was heartbroken. He would not eat or drink anything. I think he just gave up.

“Mum had a stroke two years ago and he had been her carer.

“He was old fashioned and didn’t really speak about his emotions, but I think she would have been looking down on Saturday afternoon and known how much he loved her.

“It was a big shock for them both to go so close together, but it is a comfort to know they are together again now.”

Health concern

Margaret, known as Marge, died aged 75 on Sunday November 25. Just two days later Mark and Paul became seriously concerned for their 85-year-old father’s health as well.

He was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital on the Friday (November 30) where he had a heart attack while in accident and emergency and died on Saturday.

Mark added: “When Paul told dad that mum had gone on Monday he just broke down. Then on Tuesday he seemed really poorly with a chest infection.

“By Friday we thought he should go to hospital. He was the kind of man who would normally have refused and fuss when we suggested calling an ambulance, but he just said ‘I think you’d better’.

“He had a heart attack at 10.20am on Saturday while in the high dependency unit and was there until 3.15pm when he sadly passed away.

Broken heart

“We think he died of a broken heart. They had been married 56 years and lived in the same house for 52.”

Paul, 56, added: “It looks like mum’s passing was too much for him.

“They had been so close for all those years.

“When mum got ill we tried to suggest he moved to a bungalow, but he always said the only way he would leave that house was in a box.”

A funeral service will be held at Downs Crematorium in Bear Road at 2.15pm on Friday, December 14.

See the latest news headlines from The Argus:

More news from The Argus

Follow @brightonargus

The Argus: Daily Echo on Facebook - facebook.com/southerndailyecho Like us on Facebook

The Argus: Google+ Add us to your circles on Google+