A devoted couple who were married for 68 years and spent most of their time together have died within 24 hours of each other.
Family believe Anne Beaumont, 89, ‘died of a broken heart’ after being told husband Frank, 91, faced being moved to a different care home and didn’t have long to live.
She was in relatively good health and her sudden death came as a huge shock to relatives.
Then 24 hours later Mr Beaumont, who was suffering from severe dementia, also died after being told of his wife’s passing.
Son Ian Beaumont, 67, said: ‘They have gone together, they did everything together, you think “you can’t write this how does this happen?”. Well organised, you don’t know how you do that but they did it.’
Mr Beaumont, a retired chemical company manager, was admitted to the Greenacres Care Home in Meltham, West Yorkshire, in July last year when his wife could no longer look after him at home.
‘She didn’t want to do that but was really struggling,’ said Ian.
When Mrs Beaumont needed care herself she went into the same home in April. ‘She wouldn’t go anywhere else,’ he said.
Although in separate wings of the care home due to Mr Beaumont’s dementia, the couple were together every day.
Ian said although his dementia ‘had got serious’ his father still knew who his wife was.
Mrs Beaumont sat with him the afternoon before she died.
‘It was evident he was going downhill and then suddenly my mother passed away. A couple of GPs I have spoke to said there is a known medical syndrome of a broken heart.
‘She knew he was going downhill and had also been told the week before that he will probably have to go to another care home because his nursing needs were too much for that one and I think that upset her because she wouldn’t then be with him. The whole thing just came to a head.’
‘There was no heart attack or anything, she just died,’ said Ian.
The following day the couple’s two surviving children were coming to terms with their mother’s death when their father passed away too.
Ian said the care home manager had told Mr Beaumont of his wife’s death and the family believe he understood but they will never know for sure.
But their deaths so close together has been strangely ‘comforting’ for the family members who have many happy memories of the most devoted of married couples.
Mr Beaumont was a stalwart of the Huddersfield amateur football scene and it is through the local football scene and started dating.
They had three children, one of whom died years ago in a motorcycle accident, three grandchildren and a great grandchild.
The Beaumonts spent their lives living in the Huddersfield area and ‘did everything together.’
Mrs Beaumont, who ran play groups and worked as a GP receptionist, would always go along to support her husband in his football activities and he would help in the charity activities his wife was involved in.
‘They went on holiday regularly, loved each other’s company and enjoyed life to the full,’ he said.
Ian said his father ‘could be very serious’ while also being a ‘laugh a minute’ at other times. He mixed the two effortlessly.’
Family and friends will celebrate their lives at a service in Holmfirth later this month.