‘THEY HAVE PUT THEIR ARMS AROUND US’
Son thanks Tyneside community for rallying round after much-loved shop owner dies of Covid-19
RALLIES TO SHOW HOW MUCH HE WAS LOVED
THE family of a well-known Walker chip shop owner have paid tribute to a loving family man and pillar of the community after his death from Covid19.
Gus Singh was a familiar face in Newcastle’s East End after running the successful Gus’s Chippy on Wharrier Street for more than 30 years.
He later leased the shop after suffering a heart attack and undergoing a triple bypass but could regularly be found helping out in his son Jag’s Premier store on Churchill Street, Wallsend.
The dad-of-three, who also has three grandchildren, was leading a busy and full life until he tested positive for Covid-19 in early January.
He was admitted to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary within days of the test and spent a month on a highdependency unit fighting the virus.
His battle ended on February 17 after he went into multi-organ failure and died aged 68.
Gus’ death prompted a huge outpouring of grief from the communities in Walker, Byker, Howdon and Wallsend, with around 400 people lining Wharrier Street on the day of his funeral.
Now his family are fundraising for the hospital ward where staff fought so hard to save his life.
Born in India, Gus moved to Coventry with his family at the age of three.
His son Jag, 47, said: “He was the eldest of six children so from an early age he was looking after people – he had two paper rounds then he would get back to get his brother and sisters ready for school.”
A talented footballer in his spare time, he ran a shop in Coventry and worked for Jaguar while working as a bouncer in the evenings.
Gus married Amir when he was 21 and the couple have two daughters and one son.
The family moved to the North East in 1980, where Gus became well known as the owner of Wharrier Street Fish Bar, later known as Gus’s Chippy.
Jag added: “It was a real hub of the community, everyone knew him because of the chippy.
“On Friday and Saturday night the last bus used to come from the town and everyone would go in there.
“He forged lots of relationships with people in the community.”
Gus could also often be found at his brother Dave’s shop just around the corner on St Anthony’s Street.
After more than three decades Gus retired from the shop after having major heart surgery but kept himself busy with rental properties and other
businesses, working at his family’s shop in Wallsend for several hours a day.
In January this year, Jag started experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
While he tested negative for the virus, two of his children tested positive and isolated in their rooms for two weeks.
Gus continued to help in the shop while the family was ill but started feeling unwell himself in the second week of January.
Jag said: “He was supposed to go into hospital for a small procedure but the hospital tested him beforehand and he tested positive.
“On his first day of isolating he started to struggle with his breathing and on the second day he asked my sister to ring an ambulance.
“That is when we knew something was dramatically wrong because he never complained about being ill.”
Gus was admitted to the RVI and spent a month on high-dependency unit Ward 38, where he died a month later, surrounded by family.
Jag said: “We thanked him for being a great dad and getting us to where we were in life.
“They switched off the ventilator and he slipped away.”
The family are now raising money for Ward 38, with almost £5,700 raised from an online fundraising page and hundreds more from a shop collection.
Jag went on: “The doctors and nurses were so kind.
“We were all treated courteously, respectfully and with great warmth.
“We have lost our dad, we are one of
many families who have had a tragic loss, but the staff there are heroes. It is such a thankless task.”
He added: “It was a massive shock when my dad died and so many people wanted to pay their respects. It feels like the whole community has put their arms around us.
“He revelled in being known – everyone would say hello to him when he was walking round. I think that meant a lot more to him than the materialistic things.”
TO donate to Ward 38 visit www.gofundme.com.