Wife Dies Of Broken Heart Moments After Husband Of 70 Years Passes Away

A couple who were married for 70 years have passed away within minutes of each other.

Raymond and Kathleen Atkins, from Virginia, US, had just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary when Raymond sadly died at home following a two year battle with lung cancer.

And not wanting her husband to go alone, Kathleen - who was overcome with grief - climbed into bed with Raymond where she too passed away within minutes.

Posting about his parents on Facebook, son Les Atkins said: "I feel like I'm in the middle of both a horror movie and a beautiful love story.

Les Atkins)

"My Dad who is 90 died today in his sleep. In less than an hour, my mother was so overcome with grief, died in his arms. 70 years together!

"They raised four children, ran a successful business with a high school education, and cared for so many in the community over the years. We would appreciate your thoughts and prayers in the coming days.

"This quote from the movie The Notebook sums up their beautiful story: 'I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.''

Les Atkins)

Raymond was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of years ago and had recently been in hospital for treatment. But, knowing it was his 70th wedding anniversary coming up, he was desperate to get home in time to celebrate with Kathleen on 22nd July.

Raymond made it home and the couple had a wonderful celebration, but just days later and Raymond's condition deteriorated.

In the early hours of the morning, Les' sister went to check on her dad and found he had passed away in his sleep. Kathleen was utterly heartbroken.

Les Atkins)

Speaking to WRAL, Les explained: "Within a matter of minutes, my sister called back and said my mom had crawled in the bed with him and was overcome with grief."

Kathleen said, "I'm not gonna let him go alone" and within minutes, she had also passed away.

"They did not want to go alone. They had endured this life together. They had this strong faith, and they just refused to be apart," Les continued. "It's a fairy tale in every sense of the word."

Raymond and Kathleen leave behind four children, six grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

What an incredibly touching story - our thoughts are with Raymond and Kathleen's loved ones.

Topics: Life News, Love, Relationships

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot. Get in touch at [email protected].

@lucedevine