Family devastated at loss of a ‘lovely lady’
A woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who married the love of her life at a special ceremony in hospital has sadly died.
Gail Ritchie, who was 57 years old, passed away at her home on Wednesday afternoon surrounded by her loved ones.
It came just weeks after Gail received the shock diagnosis that she had terminal lung cancer at the end of April.
Gail married the love of her life Peter Stubbs, at Sunderland
Royal Hospital on Friday, May 21, after the Archibishop of Canterbury granted them a special licence in order to become husband and wife.
Gail’s niece Leigh Brown, was able to attend the wedding, along with Gail’s grandson Jack, 14, her sisters Carole and Deborah, and brother-inlaw Derek.
Peter and Gail, both from Farringdon, were together for 40 years after meeting at the Sunderland pub The Dun Cow.
Leigh has said Peter is a “broken man” after Gail’s passing and the whole family is “absolutely devastated” as she paid a touching tribute to her aunt.
Leigh, 52, described Gail as a “lovely lady” and said it was “an honour” to have been her niece.
She said: “We are absolutely devastated. She was a lovely lady. She would do anything for anybody. She loved to paint and decorate.
"She was there for you all the time.
"She loved the football and she loved to bet.
"It was an honour to be her niece and to be able to look after her at the end. An absolute honour.”
The nurse from South Hetton continued: "We were more like sisters.
"There’s only five years between us, we were sisters, we weren’t auntie and niece.
"I loved her dearly. I always will.
"I feel privileged and honoured to have been her niece.”
The family is now raising money for the funeral costs and to support Peter’s grandson, Jack who Gail was nana to.
Remembering her auntie, Leigh added: "She was wellrespected in Sunderland.
" She was known by hundreds of people.”
The funeral will take place on Wednesday, June 9 at Sunderland Crematorium.
The service is invite only, but friend and the public are welcome to gather outside or attend via video link.