Thursday, 25 June 2015

Doctor Who fan who died suddenly aged 27 remembered with special Tardis tribute bench

A much-loved Doctor Who fan and dedicated volunteer worker who died suddenly aged just 27 is being remembered in style with a unique tribute and a celebration day.

Volunteer Vanessa Stapley (left) is pictured with Gary's widow Emma Abbott (right)The death of Gary Abbott, of Marske, on March 18 last year, came as a huge shock to his family and many friends.

The apparently healthy young volunteer worker passed away suddenly while at the club he dedicated countless hours to from a genetic heart condition he didn’t know he had, hypertropic cardiomyopathy.

Now the memory of Gary, known to friends at Redcar’s Grenfell Club for adults and children with learning and physical disabilities as “Big G” due to his height and equally “big personality”, is being kept alive with a special Tardis tribute bench in the garden of the club.

Manager of the club Samantha Jones said: “Gary joined the Grenfell Club as a volunteer at the age of 14 when his mam wanted to get him away from computers. He became a much-loved volunteer and friend to our many members, over 300 of them. He went on to become a member of staff then a trustee.

Volunteer Vanessa Stapley (left) is pictured with Gary's widow Emma Abbott (right)
 

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