A former regional journalist who lost his wife of 43 years to cancer has written a book in tribute to his care worker wife which he hopes will help others come to terms with grief.

Barry Ward, who worked on the Southport Visiter, has recalled the cause and traumatic consequences of his wife Christine’s sudden death in 2015 following complications associated with chemotherapy treatment.

Entitled Remembering Christine, it was conceived as a legacy of he life and as a memento for future generations of the family, but evolved into a study of bereavement at the suggestion of a local counsellor who helped Barry through his trauma.

Christine was known and admired by many war veterans, elderly and under-privileged people she helped during her years in Southport and later Rutland, where she moved with her family in 2005.

Barry Ward, left, with wife Christine

Said Barry: “Until it happened to me, I hadn’t experienced the depth of anguish that comes with the sudden loss of a loved one.

“But it became obvious that such sudden deaths bring grief on an unimaginable scale to thousands of people every hour of every day and yet it’s a malaise that few can talk about, much less help to alleviate.

“That’s when Carolyn, my bereavement counsellor, suggested that the book I was writing in Christine’s memory could become a study of grief and bring help and comfort to some of those also suffering as I was.

“This would be my reward; the thought that Christine, whose life was driven by her compassion, would be remembered through a book that would bring comfort to others.”

The couple were married for 43 years, and Barry interviewed number of people who had also suffered recent sudden loss or who had previous experience of it in family life for the book.

He added: “My hope is that the book will keep her memory alive to all those who knew and loved her over the years. She deserves nothing less.”

Remebering Christine can be downloaded here.