Tragic father died days before the birth of his third child (From The Argus)

Tragic father from Worthing died days before the birth of his third child

1:10pm Wednesday 16th January 2013 in News By Ben Leo, reporter

Guy Lewis with his wife Hanna

A father of twins died days before the birth of his third child after a blood vessel in his heart burst.

Fitness fanatic Guy Lewis was planning to run the Brighton Marathon in three months’ time but died after being suddenly taken ill at home.

Last night his grieving widow and friends spoke of their shock at his death.

Hanna Lewis is due to give birth today to the couple’s third child. Mrs Lewis, who married her husband in 2007, said: “I can’t find the words to describe my feelings.”

Mr Lewis, 34, complained of a severe chest pain and a headache late on Wednesday evening at his home in Worthing. He was taken by ambulance to Worthing Hospital for tests but died in the early hours of Thursday.

The athletic father and keen gym member was the owner of the Gymboree Play and Music centre for children in Brighton.

As well as his wife, he leaves behind his daughter Ela, who is due to be born today by caesarean section at Worthing Hospital, and his four-year-old twins Mariusz and Francis.

The pair appeared in The Argus in October after making an appearance in the hit ITV show Downton Abbey.

Bobby Cookson, 29, Mr Lewis’s friend and colleague, described him as “everything you could hope for in a friend”.

He said: “He was my best mate. He was always overly generous and shared everything. We rode our bikes together, played poker together and drank together. We did everything that best friends do. I’m really going to miss him.

“Everyone at work is in shock and tears. Some mums have known him for seven or eight years and are really upset by the news. There’s going to be a lot of grieving going on.

"He was a gym fanatic and certainly liked to keep fit. He was tall, muscular and in good shape so it’s all come as a bit of a shock.

“We did the Brighton half marathon together last year and he was planning to complete the full one this year.”

Mr Lewis was looking forward to opening a new ‘parent friendly cafe’ in April that served fresh, organic and locally sourced food and beverages.

Speaking to The Argus earlier this month about his project, he described how his cafe in Brighton would have a soft sensory area for pre-mobile babies and a ‘big kids’ chill out zone for three to five-year- olds, complete with child-sized sofas and books.

Friend Ben Lambert said: “Like me, Guy was a father of twins himself and I think he made a special effort to make our life as easy as possible at Gymboree because of that.

“He really was so full of life. He was fit, healthy, passionate about his job, excited about his plans for a toddler friendly cafe and most of all, looking forward to being a dad again.

“How this can happen to someone in the prime of life is a mystery and a tragedy. He will be missed by all of us and our thoughts go to Hanna and their boys.”

Plans for Mr Lewis’s funeral are yet to be confirmed.

Leave your tributes to Mr Lewis below.