Tributes paid to popular Newport dentist and family man after cancer death
A tribute have been paid to a loving family man and popular dentist who has died aged 76 after a five-year battle with cancer.
John Coombes, from Newport, had been a dentist at Newport Dental Practice for 40 years and spent a further 10 years as an orthodontist in Wellington.
The father of two died on Friday, March 25, leaving behind his wife Linda, 73, their two sons Michael, 49, David 45, and two grand-daughters Ruby, 14 and Jess, 9.
Linda, John's wife of 50 years, said that she had received 59 sympathy cards from people within the community who said they would remember his smile and positive character.
She said that John always made an effort to get to know people and noted how he had told his son that he had more than 2,000 patients and knew every one of them.
Paying tribute to her late husband, Linda said: "He was very popular and very well liked. It doesn't matter what it was in life, he never gave up.
"Everything was a hobby for John. Fishing was his favourite and he loved to be outside. He'd go out at 6am in the morning and wouldn't come back until late at night.
"We were a unit. We had friends, but we were happy just the two of us. I don't know what I'm going to do without him, he was my rock.
"He loved his boys, he was very proud of them. He was a lovely dad and he loved his family. He was a very gentle man. He would sit on the back step with worms on his hands for the robins."
Linda and John originally met in Cornwall back in 1971, when Linda was working in a hotel and John had taken up a position as a dentist in St Austell.
On one occasion, Linda had a case of toothache and was encouraged by her friend to go and see a dentist after her shift, where she met John.
John agreed to treat her on the condition that she went out on a date with him and the pair had a "lovely meal" together working their way through the menu of coffees.
The couple were married in 1972 and later moved to Newport in Shropshire to have their children and be closer to family, with John's mother living in Birmingham and Linda's family residing in Preston.
Linda said that John was a life-long fan of Liverpool and Liverpool FC after he trained to be a dentist at the University of Liverpool before getting a job in Cornwall.
The funeral of John Coombes is set to take place on Tuesday, April 19 and the service will be held at Telford Crematorium, Woodhouse Lane, Redhill at 11.30am.
"Anyone who wants to come is very welcome," Linda said and the funeral procession will start at the home in Queens Drive, before going past the dental practice on Stafford Street and onto the High Street, before heading to the crematorium.
