Valley man dies suddenly in New Zealand
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Valley expat who died of a sudden brain haemorrhage in New Zealand aged just 52.
Steven Dew was preparing to go kayaking when he suffered a devastating brain haemorrhage.
He was airlifted to Wellington hospital and died three days later on October 27.
A passionate advocate of organ donation, his distraught family say their one comfort is that he was able to fulfil his wishes and donate his organs to help others.
His sister Sharon, who lives in Stacksteads, said that his sudden death came as an ‘awful shock’ and her brother will be ‘missed desperately’.
She said: “He was getting up to go kayaking and he had this massive brain haemorrhage.
“It was a huge shock for everybody. It was so much harder because we couldn’t have got to him - although we wanted to.
“He was on the other side of the world and we couldn’t just get in the car and rush to hospital. It’s been horrible.
“All of us, his family here and there, we are all going to miss him so much.”
Father-of-one Steven grew up in Stacksteads and attended Fearns high school, later moving to Edenfield, where he lived for the five years before he emigrated.
After he left school he was an apprentice with JJ Bennett and Sons in Bacup, and then got a job at Rossendale Combining Company.
Sharon said: “He was always laughing, always joking and fun loving.
“We were close as children and once we got married we still kept in touch.
“I have so many good memories of him. He was great with my children - they loved playing games with him and they loved him being their uncle.
“He was so much fun, he used to get dressed up with them and all sorts.”
In 2005 he decided to emigrate to New Zealand with his second wife Christine, who had a job offer as a teacher and relatives in the country.
Steven settled down in Picton and set up his own handyman business.
He developed his love for outdoor pursuits, chiefly kayaking, but he also enjoyed walking and cycling and exploring his passion for photography.
His only son from his first marriage, Sam, later moved to join him and now lives in Dunedin.
Sharon added: “He moved because he just wanted a better life.
“I wanted him to be happy but I also didn’t want him to go. It was such a long way away.
“But he absolutely loved everything about it, the people, the landscape. It was his home.”