A "popular" dad died suddenly six weeks before his son's wedding.
Robert Jones, also known as Bob to loved ones, had been on holiday with friends four weeks before he died. The 75-year-old, from Formby, had also been playing an 18-hole round of golf two weeks before his sudden death in May last year.
His son Gareth Jones said his dad's death came as a shock to the family and he had been chatting to Bob days before he died. The family were told Bob had pulmonary fibrosis - a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult.
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Bob tragically died six weeks before Gareth's wedding to wife Aneta. The family saved Bob a seat at the top table and remembered and celebrated him throughout their special day.
Speaking to the ECHO, Gareth, 38, said: "Two weeks before he passed away he was playing golf. He did a round of golf with the lads and he was a little short of breath but he played 18 holes and two weeks before that he went on holiday with the lads. It was a golf trip in Spain.
"So he went away with the lads and came back and basically he self-admitted into hospital [...] I went to see him on the Thursday and I had spoke to him in hospital. Unfortunately on the Monday he passed away really suddenly.
"It was six weeks before our wedding. It was a tough time last year. We did an empty seat at the top table for him and I did it in my speech as well. It was tough but we got through it."
Paying tribute to his dad, Gareth said he was a "proud Scouser" who loved to socialise.
He said: "My dad was a very popular man, a former Liverpool docker, proud Scouser and would often be found socialising in the pubs on the dock road, or in Formby where we lived.
"We are both big Liverpool fans, he started to work on the Liverpool docks when he was 15. He met my mum Lynn in Rigby's pub and they both lived in Old Swan and Breck Road.
"They then moved to Formby around 35-odd years ago and then lived there. He was a proud Scouser."
To raise awareness for the disease and money for charity Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis, Gareth took on a huge challenge. The 38-year-old, who said "he hates running", has since the start of January been on a mission to run a total of 500 kilometres by March 26.
This includes at least a 5k run minimum, every single day, for 85 days consecutively. This will then culminate to running the Liverpool half marathon on Sunday, March 26.
To donate to Gareth's fundraising page, please click here.
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