Father dies of ‘broken heart’ three weeks before daughter’s death from pancreatic cancer

A mum-of-one died from cancer just three weeks after her father died suddenly at work “heartbroken” over her terminal diagnosis.

Angela Courtney, 47, had been planning to spend Christmas with her father Tony, 70, prior to his tragic death from a heart attack on 14 December. The TUI air hostess passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer just three weeks later on 3 January.

Devastated friends and relatives held a joint funeral service in Huyton, Liverpool, last week. The family also installed a plaque for the pair, so people can pay their respects.

Their family believe that electrician Tony died from a “broken heart” as he was contemplating the thought of losing his daughter. In a heartbreaking tribute, Angela’s brother Anthony wrote: “I don’t write many things on Facebook but I think I need to tell the world what it has lost over the last 20 days.

“We lost my dad in December to a broken heart contemplating the thought of losing a daughter. We lost a dear sister after a long battle to pancreatic cancer.

“Losing both my dad and our Angela in such a short period of time has left a huge void in my life and the lives of the whole family that can never be filled.

“I do take a lot of strength from the love and positivity they both shared with so many people during their brief time on this planet, the legacy they have both left behind and the knowledge that they are together again on some fantastic journey.”

While Tony’s daughter Beverley told MailOnline: “We kind of believe he died of a broken heart because he just couldn't see her die. We like to take that comfort that he died before her because he couldn't take anymore.”

Doctors initially believed Angela had problems with her hernia, however after continued issues they finally realised she had stage three pancreatic cancer. Despite undergoing chemotherapy, her family were told it was terminal. She leaves behind a six-year-old son.

Beverley added: “Angela was honestly one of the most kind hearted people, she was just a beautiful soul. Nobody could say a bad word about her. She was kind, friendly, she was funny and she just lived for her family.”

She revealed she had to tell Angela in the hospice that their father had died, which left her in tears. She was heartbroken,” Beverley said. “She was crying saying ‘all I wanted was a nice Christmas’. It was really, really sad.”

Beverley ran a GoFundMe page when Angela was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.