‘We didn’t know what it was but we were expecting him home’
THE last time Lee Pearson saw his dad he was being taken into an ambulance at his home.
While his family were naturally worried about the straight-talking 70-year-old they weren’t overly concerned, suspecting his high temperature and hallucinations to be a water infection as it had been in the past.
Soon afterwards, however, it became clear that wasn’t the case and that Dennis Laurence Pearson had contracted coronavirus. With the first lockdown only just beginning his family were told things weren’t good and to expect the worst.
When the news they had been dreading came down the phone, Lee and his siblings weren’t able to hug their mum who was only metres away as they desperately wanted to.
Now, in the week where the UK observed a minute’s silence to remember those we have lost to coronavirus, and nearly a year after the dad-of-four’s death, his son has paid tribute to a man who never missed a game of rugby or the chance to take the grandchildren to school.
“My brothers are a lot older and they played at a decent standard. When they were younger my dad followed them everywhere,” former Bargoed RFC player Lee, 36, said.
“When I started playing rugby he followed me. He was a massive, massive fan, he would turn up at the grounds two hours before the team bus, it didn’t matter where we were in the country. We have played in Mid Wales and the bus would turn up in the bus park and dad was standing there leaning against the rails. They thought a lot of him and he thought a lot of them.
“I bet my dad missed about three games in 12 years.”
A former employee at Conva tech in Rhymney, Laurence was liked by colleagues and respected by bosses for his no-nonsense attitude and for speaking his mind.
Outside of work he also had his own hobbies and life with wife Rhian at their Rhymney home, where Laurence would take in and care for horses that needed some extra care.
When the grandfather-of-seven became ill his family suspected it was a water infection, something Laurence had suffered from in the past.
Lee said: “He suffered with water infections, he used to have them quite regularly and he would have a high temperature and hallucinate. They were the symptoms when they came to take him from the house.
“I got to the house as they were taking him to the ambulance and I waved and said ‘alright dad.’ I looked at mam and said ‘he’s got a water infection.’ We didn’t know what it was but we were expecting him home. The last time I saw him he was going down the stairs in a wheelchair into the ambulance.
“We were almost laughing as he went into the ambulance because he didn’t know who I was. Then all of a sudden he didn’t come home. When he was in hospital they told us to expect the worst.”
Describing the day of his dad’s death on April 14, six days after he was admitted to hospital, Lee added: “Me and my three brothers we all went to mam’s garden because we weren’t allowed inside. Mam was sat on the doorstep and we were in each corner of the garden. When they phoned my oldest brother they told him
my dad had passed away and my brother relayed the news. Mam broke down but no-one could go to her, we couldn’t hug her.
“When he passed away he weren’t allowed to see his body.”
Despite the heartbreak of the last year, Lee and his brothers Gerwyn, Garry and Jeff are determined to focus on the positive memories they have together with their dad.
A man with a life full of stories, Lee said that even when it came to picking out his cemetery plot previously Laurence
had a joke and a story to go with it, something they will always remember.
When rugby returns Lee said he will return with his mother to the seats where she and Laurence would always watch their son play to see Bargoed
RFC return to the pitch.
However there is no denying there will be some difficult times ahead.
Lee said the family are yet to tell his maternal grandmother of Laurence’s passing as she is in a carehome, with his mum waiting until she can hold her and give her a hug when she breaks the news.
Lee, who now plays rugby for Abertysswg, said: “It was always positive with dad. He had so many friends and we are such a big family and close community so it’s going to be hard on April 14. Obviously the first year you have the first birthday and first Christmas, it’s difficult, but we had a good upbringing and a life of good memories.
“Him and mam have always been the babysitters, they would take the grandchildren to school and he’d sing songs in the car. They all loved bampy, he was really good at his job
“He would buy horses for the grandchildren. My one brother took to the horses, he rode a lot and has the horse dad had before he passed away. The horses he took on were not in bad health but they needed looking after. The horse my brother has now my dad was never able to see how it turned out.”
Lee added: “The thing is when you say [dad was] 70 people say it’s a decent age but my dad didn’t feel 70 years old. He was retired but he’d take mam shopping, he’d take the dog for a walk, feed the horses, watch me play rugby, he was constantly outside. He was a very active, fit man, he seemed a lot younger than 70.
“The last game I played he was sat there. As soon as I go back the first game back will be emotional. I want to go back to Bargoed and watch them play. He always had the same seat in the stands so I want to take mam, sit there and watch the game.”