“HE was the best dad a daughter could wish for”.
That was the the poignant memory of Suki Stockham, whose father, Alan Westray, was one of the Isle of Wight’s first coronavirus victims, dying in St Mary’s Hospital on April 9 of a combination of the virus and pneumonia.
His death, just days after Suki had flown from her Encinitas, California, home to help him celebrate his 80th birthday, shows the human face of the Covid-19 tragedy.
The Isle of Wight has now recorded 13 deaths and 55 cases of coronavirus, with St Mary’s Hospital gearing up for the worst of the pandemic.
Suki described Alan as a dapper, fashion-conscious, fun-loving man, who had worked hard and had numerous hobbies during his life, lived mainly on the Isle of Wight.
She said: “I know many of us think we have the best dad but he was so full of cuddles and love for his family.”
She paid tribute to the caring staff at the hospital and thanked the people from the Isle of Wight and from across the globe who had paid tribute to him on Facebook.
Alan Westray obituary: A life in words and pictures
Suki told the County Press on Wednesday: “This shows how coronavirus is this invisible killer that we are still not taking seriously enough.
"If people could see the virus they would take it more seriously but there are still people not doing what they should be doing to counter it.”
Alan, of Sandown, had started feeling unwell on March 20, but had to be pushed to call a doctor.
“I had gone back to the USA by then but dad being dad, he had to be persuaded by his loving sister Carole White to call 111.
“They took him into St Mary’s and his symptoms got worse. He was in a ward with other people with Covid.”
Alan’s family are having a small private funeral with only Suki, her sister Lara Westray, and Carole White present but a big celebration of his life is being planned for later in the year.
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