FROM GHALIA, WITH LOVE

Dean Francis’ wife remembers her beloved husband

FRIDAY, May 25 2018, is a day that falls heavy on my heart and a day I, along with thousands of others, had hoped and prayed would never come.

My darling husband Dean Francis passed away after a long and gruelling 16-month battle with bowel and liver cancer. He was taken away from us way too soon and will be very sorely missed.

Dean fought this invasive disease with courage, dignity and bravery until the very end. We are devastated that this day finally came and the whole boxing world is in mourning with tributes coming in for Dean.

This whole journey has been indescribable. I’ve literally never felt pain like this before, and the emptiness is numbing.

On reflection, I have to be thankful. In a world full of bad I was fortunate and blessed to have an incredible man to be my husband and the father to our son, Rocco. His memory, his legacy and his love will live on forever. I will continue to see his kind heart and infectious smile every day through my beautiful little boy who has Dean imprinted all over him.

Thank you to everyone that has reached out to me and our family and everyone that has followed us through our journey. The support for him was hugely overwhelming and he was deeply touched by the support and recognition he received from his peers within the community. This was a true testament to the man that he was, the fighter that he was, and who I was fortunate enough to have by my side for 10 years.

Dean’s fighter spirit was ingrained in his DNA until the very end and will forever be watching over us. Finally at peace. I will love you forever.