Double tragedy devastates family
A FAMILY has been left “beyond devastated” after a father and son died just three weeks apart.
Lee Herbert, 42, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in his sleep on April 1, followed by his father Pete Herbert, who suffered a fatal heart attack on April 25 at the age of 66.
Lee, who worked as a counter clerk in Cardigan Post Office and was manager of the town’s Co-op for several years, was described as a very gifted singer but would never perform in public due to his immense shyness. However, it was discovered that he had secretly recorded thousands of cover songs on the karaoke app Smule.
“We’ve always known Lee had a truly amazing voice, but because he was so shy and quiet the only place I could ever get to sing with him was in the car,” said his sister Katie Herbert.
“He would help out in the local theatre group with the tech and the lights, but he wouldn’t sing in front of people. He was a very artistic guy who could really harmonise, yet he was so unassuming. No-one ever had a bad word to say about Lee. He was a very caring person and was always there if needed.
“After he died we went on to the app and found more than 1,400 recordings of him singing. It was lovely to find that. I spoke to my brother George and he agreed we really must have Lee singing at his own funeral.”
Several of Lee’s recordings were played at his funeral in Narberth Crematorium, including his versions of Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home) by Paul Young and You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban.
“When he’s singing You Raise Me Up, which has some very difficult parts, he’s just sitting on a chair at his computer desk belting it out. It was so effortless to him,” added Katie, who admitted the family may never know why Lee died.
“It was a very intense funeral because two of the songs were actual videos of him singing. It was lovely, but hard to watch at the same time.”
Three weeks and three days later, dad-of-three Pete Herbert also lost his life without warning. Katie said her father was staying with them following Lee’s tragic passing and collapsed in the bathroom. Despite carrying out CPR, there was nothing she or the Welsh Ambulance Service could do to save him.
“I knew he’d gone, but I didn’t want to give up [with the CPR]. The ambulance service were brilliant when they got to us and got his pulse back for seven minutes, but he rearrested three times,” mum-of-four Katie added. “In my mind I think he just died of a broken heart. Losing Lee really affected him – you never expect to lose your child.”
Katie described Pete, who also had four grandchildren, as an incredibly popular man who had a great sense of humour. “We couldn’t go on holiday without bumping into someone he knew. He was the funniest guy – whenever we’d walk into a room all the attention would be on him,” she added.
“He ran pubs, he worked in the media industry so he knew a lot of celebrities, and he played football semi-professionally. Everybody loved Dad. The world seems so much quieter without him in it because he was such a big character.”