THE heartbroken daughters of a couple who died six hours apart after 60 years of marriage said their parents simply "couldn’t live without each other".
Elizabeth and Peter Molyneux enjoyed a happy life together in Sutton Heath, alongside their four daughters Susan, Pauline, Diane, and Lisa.
On December 1 they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
However, Elizabeth, 79, had COPD and had been living with the condition for a while. And in July Peter, 83, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
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Their youngest daughter, Lisa Molyneux, 47, told the Star: “Dad cared for mum, they always did everything together they had a lovely life together.
“But in July Dad, who did everything for all of us, was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas and we found out he was terminal, he didn’t know that, but we all did, and Mum did too.
“They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary together and did thumbs up on the picture and we had 60th balloons.
“Just after that he went into hospital, then we managed to get him home, but her COPD took a turn for the worse and she went into Whiston then.
“On the 8th, (December) dad died at home, we knew it was coming but then we told mum in hospital. Six hours later she died too.
“Later we found out she had sepsis and pneumonia, but she didn’t let anyone know she was struggling. We think she was holding on for him, she wouldn’t go until he did and once, we told her he’d gone, she went too.
“It’s heartbreaking but mum always said, ‘you’re not going anywhere without me’, she said it all the time. They couldn’t live without each other.
“The only thing helping us all during any of this is that we know they are together, the way they always wanted. They are having a double funeral on December 29 as well and we’ll keep them together.
“It’s like something out of a movie really, they had normal lives, dad worked at Pilks and Triplex and mum was a cleaner for St Helens Council, then Asda then Sutton High, but they loved each other and loved their family.
“We are going to miss them so much. It’s so hard for us all but at least one of them didn’t have to live without the other, neither could have coped with that.”
Elizabeth and Peter, who were grandparents-of-eight, great grandparents-of-seven - and recently great-great-grandparents-of-one - will have their joint funeral on December 29 at St John’s Church at 11.45am, followed by cremation at St Helens Crematorium at 1pm then a wake will be held at Thatto Heath Labour Club.
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