Groom marries partner of 27 years in dying wish before passing away on same day

Retired tree surgeon Bill Coney, proposed to Donna Clarke at around 8.30pm on Monday, July 1, as he received palliative care in Walsall Manor Hospital.

The 74-year-old had been admitted the previous Thursday with shortness of breath, but had battled several health problems including interstitial lung disease and heart failure, as well as several other underlying co-morbidities.

Donna said: "The staff had been teasing him a bit about us being together so long and not getting married and he suddenly asked me – in typical Bill style he just said: 'Do you want to get married?' And I said yes straight away, I didn’t leave him wondering!”

They married in the morning of Wednesday, July 3, before Bill died at around 2.30pm.

Bill and Donna, both from Willenhall, met in a pub 27 years ago.

Paying tribute to him, she said: “He always thought of others first, he was a kind man, wanting to help people if he could.”

Bill was a father of six, including four children he had with Donna.

She said the family would be grateful to Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust for helping them to get married, especially the support they received from Sarah Griffin, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist.#

Sarah added: “It was a pleasure to work with our Well Wishers charity to organise flowers, a cake and a toast to make Bill and Donna’s wedding wish come true at what was a difficult time for the family as Bill started to have end-of-life care on the ward.

“The Registrar also acted promptly to support us and apply for a special licence, and we appreciate her doing so.

“I am so sorry Donna became a bride and a widow in the same day but I’m also happy they were able to share some smiles together that day. Our condolences go out to the family as they try to come to terms with their loss.”