A family in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, has been left reeling after a father tragically died at his son’s funeral.
Norman White, 61, collapsed while his son David Beilicki’s coffin was being carried into St Bede’s Chapel last month.
David, who passed away on July 31, was discovered dead on his sofa by a family member. Emergency services rushed Norman to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
Speaking to TeesideLive, Norman’s daughter, Chantelle Beilicki, said her father had no known heart conditions and believes he may have died of a “broken heart” following the loss of his son.
“It has been so traumatic. You wouldn’t ever think of anything like this happening, you couldn’t write it,” she said. “When we got into the chapel and sat down, I looked around and said ‘where’s my dad?’ I think seeing all the family together like that must have been too much.”
Chantelle described her father as a keen boxer who often trained others in the sport and praised him as a “popular and well-liked” granddad. “He was my dad and I idolised him,” she said.
David’s death marked a decade since he attended a memorial service for his stillborn twin sons, Karson and Deacon. He shared a home with Chantelle and the rest of the family on Overdale Road, Park End. An investigation into the cause of David’s death is ongoing.
Chantelle added: “My kids are devastated. The whole place just isn’t the same without him. He had a heart as big as the ocean. He is so missed.
” She also commended the staff at Rose Funerals for their support during the traumatic day, saying, “They went through every emotion with us, all the time they were working to save my dad although they were traumatised too.”
A funeral service for Norman White is scheduled for September 18.
