Following DW’s 80th birthday party, in April 1977, DW and Joan went down to the South of France for a really good rest.
They returned on 26th April after three “quiet but pleasant weeks”, and after dinner that evening DW had an attack of breathing difficulties. He had had these before, but this was the worst yet.
He was carried to bed, but although he recovered, this was the start of a gentle but quick decline.
Although he still replied to fan mail, DW spent much of the autumn in bed, and in October, when his health was finally failing, he was visited by his old friend ‘Bobby’ Eastaugh, the Lord Bishop of Peterborough.
‘Bobby’ gave him conditional absolution, and DW wrote a shaky letter of thanks that was found among Eastaugh’s possessions.
A few nights later, DW died alone in the night of 10th November 1977. At about half past ten he got into breathing difficulties, and by the time Jack Younger came round to see how he was and sit with him, he was gone.
References : Phil Baker pp 607-8
Provenance : The webmaster
