A LOVING son has paid heartfelt tributes to his father who died due to coronavirus while batting leukaemia.

Roy Coughlin, 72, from Stanford-Le-Hope died in the Kingswood Ward at Basildon Hospital after undergoing palliative care due to relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia.

He went into hospital on October 8 as a day visitor for blood platelets and stayed there until his death in the early hours of October 22.

Son Paul, 46, from Chelmsford said his dad was a modest and hard working man.

He said: “He loved Chelsea Football Club but like many family men his family became his main interest. He also loved DIY and was very accomplished at it too.

“The love of his life was my mum, Penny, and they were married for 51 years. They had to delay their marriage as they were in their teens and too young initially.

“I was in pieces at first after his passing and it’s taken about a week to start to come to terms with it.

“We knew he was dying of leukaemia but Covid sped things along. He was a modest, sensitive, kind man and was very hard working and was still working up to January.”

Paul said aside his father spent almost his entire working life at Coryton refinery.

After that he worked at Gatwick Airport in the flight refuelling area.

Paul said despite pleas from the family to retire, his father worked right up until the leukaemia diagnosis on January 13, at which point he was transferred to St Bart’s Hospital for immediate chemotherapy treatment.

Mr Coughlin was born in Tilbury and has strong ties to the area with five brothers and a sister, but sadly some have died leaving three brothers still remaining in Thurrock and Basildon.

Paul added: “My dad’s ceremony will be held in Upminster on Friday November 13 at 12.40pm which he would find poignant considering the last ten months he endured with dignity and fought as hard as he could before his body could take no more.”