“Pete has left a gaping hole in our lives and hearts”: Dad Pete Hynes went to bed but died hours later

Pete Hynes tragically passed away three hours later after going to bed with a cold and earache. His wife Louise Hynes revealed on the JustGiving page that she set up that “We could never have known that our lives were to forever change from that day onwards.”

Louise Hynes also wrote on the JustGiving page for Meningtis Now that “Pete was taken from us suddenly and tragically having been ill with a cold (like we all had in the weeks prior to his death). When he went for a lie down on the Saturday morning he was displaying none of the symptoms of the disease.”

In 2024, CORE Special Projects chose Meningitis Now as their Charity of The Year for 2024 as Sarah-Jayne, their Marketing & Communications Manager, had been very good friends with Pete Hynes and she told Meningtis Now that “Pete would love the fact that I'm throwing myself out of a plane doing a sky dive in his memory! Along with all the other fantastic challenges the team at CORE has planned this year, we really want to do him proud and raise awareness and of course lots of money…”

Pete Hynes was born on April 1 1982 and passed away on December 5, 2022. According to an obituary on a funeral page for Pete Hynes, “Pete was much beloved son of Stephen & Judith, idolised older brother to David, adored son in law of Jackie & Les, most amazing best friend & husband to Lou and the best Daddy & Step-Dad in the world to Will, Charlie & Matilda.”

The Daily Mail reported that Pete Hynes was rushed to the local hospital after falling ill, “where tests revealed he was suffering from the deadly bacterial infection, meningococcal meningitis. The disease involves lethal bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis infecting the membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord. It progresses quickly, as the bug soon enters the blood and damages the walls of the blood vessels, causing bleeding in the skin and organs. Often, this triggers life-threatening sepsis.”

According to the NHS, “Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges).

“It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. Meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly. It can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. A number of vaccinations are available that offer some protection against meningitis.”