Identical twins die hours apart but families say they are comforted knowing they left the world together

Born in Attercliffe, Sheffield, in July 1951, Alan and Geoff Bates looked so similar to one another as children that when they started at Maltby Street School, their older sister, Sue, was asked to sew their names into their school uniforms so teachers could tell them apart.

Geoff’s daughter, Katie, described how the pair used to ‘play on’ the fact they were identical twins while they were at school, playing games, and if one was in trouble, the other would say ‘it wasn’t me’.

And while only one in every 42 babies is born a twin, Alan and Geoff were just one of four sets of twins in their class at school.

Some years later, another encounter with twins would lead to Alan settling down and starting a family, as his daughter, Shelley, explains: “In the ‘60s there was this open air swimming pool in Longley Park. My mum was also a twin, and my dad asked out my mum’s sister, my aunty Pauline, to the pool.

"But when my aunt saw my dad arrive with my uncle Geoff on the back his motorcycle she said she didn’t want to go out with him, so my mum went over to tell him and went out with him instead!”

Described as sharing many qualities including being hard-working, generous, loyal and stubborn, Alan and Geoff always had a special bond, even as they started families and careers and embarked upon more separate lives.

The brothers would regularly bring the families together with Christmas Eve always held at the home of Alan, his wife Christine and their children Andrew and Shelley; and New Year’s Eve spent at the home of Geoff his wife Susan and their children, Katie and John.

The brothers both became widowers, but Alan went on to find love again with Debs, and Geoff dedicated himself to taking care of his son John.

Katie, Andrew and Shelley say they find the fact that just as Alan and Geoff came into the world together, they have also left it together, very ‘comforting’.

In his final hours, Alan could be seen talking to his twin brother Geoff and looking in the corner of the room, say Andrew and Shelley.

"Dad was born first, and left last, so he was there to welcome uncle Geoff, and Geoff was there to welcome him. They were born within hours of each other, and died within three hours of each other. It’s bonkers. We spoke to our funeral director, Michael Fogg, and he said it’s the first time he’s ever known it happen,” said Andrew.

Katie added: “I didn’t believe in the twinism thing, but this has changed my mind totally...it’s been hard but I’ve been able to take comfort from the fact they’re probably up there together making a nuisance of themselves.”

The twin brothers both fell ill, and were taken into hospital on, June 11 this year, before passing away on June 13 – just a month shy of their 71st birthday.

Alan died from oesophageal cancer, while Geoff passed away from multi-organ failure and pnuemonia.

The brothers made their final journey together at their joint funeral at Grenoside Crematorium on July 19 this year, when their coffins were brought into the Crematorium side-by-side, adorned with matching flowers.

Katie praised Michael Fogg Family Funeral Directors for the respectful and seamless way the brothers’ funeral was arranged and carried out, adding ‘I don’t think we would have got through it without them’.