Cancer couple die a day apart in hospice

Barbara Booth, 71, “lost her spark” after husband Ken, 73, died on Valentine’s Day following a battle with stomach cancer.

She died the next day after putting up the Valentine’s card he had written just before he died.

Mrs Booth was in St Gemma’s Hospice, Leeds after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Daughter Jacqueline Cornforth, 50, said: “She was heartbroken. There was no will left after Dad died. Dad wasn’t a great romantic and he only ever gave her two Valentine’s cards before, one when they were courting and one when they were first married.

“But my sister-in-law bought one for Dad this year – he wrote it before he died and Mum hung it up in her room.”

Son Nick Booth, 48, said: “The night before Dad died, Mum was wheeled into his room and they spent three hours just chatting, being together.

“Dad died at 7.45am the next morning. We had to tell Mum that Dad had gone and all the spark went. There was no way he was going without her.”