An elderly couple entered a suicide pact after learning that the husband only had a short time left to live following a cancer diagnosis, an inquest heard this week.
Howard, 80, and Jacqueline Titterton, 78, jointly signed letters for friends, the police and their solicitor before taking their own lives.
"Neither one of us wishes to live without the other," the wrote on one of the several notes left behind.
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The couple, who enjoyed travelling and cruises, were found dead at their home in St Asaph, Wales, on 13th November last year.
As North Wales Live reports, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, David Pojur, confirmed the suicide at the inquest in Ruthin.
Devoted Howard and Jacqueline said they had a "great life" and both agreed what they should do following the devastating diagnosis of terminal bowel cancer. The pair explained in their letters that neither of them were pressured into the suicide pact.
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The inquest heard how the elderly couple, who had no children, planned their deaths meticulously, leaving a key with the neighbours for the police to enter their home.
They also put labels on items they wanted to hand down to friends so it was clear who should receive what.
Details of the double tragedy were heard during the inquest on Wednesday.
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Howard, who once worked for a glass manufacturers, was receiving palliative care at home where retired nurse Jacqueline was helping to care for him.
Their next-door neighbour, Denbighshire county councillor Andrew Thomas, said in a statement that Howard had started looking frail but "ok" a few days before their deaths.
Wife Susan Thomas described the couple as "lovely people", but noted that she thought it was odd Jacqueline had given her a park-and-ride ticket for Chester the previous day as she would not be using it.
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On 13th November, their neighbour Andrew discovered that an envelope with £500 inside had been put through his front door, along with a suicide note from the couple.
Coroners ruled that both had died from suffocation.
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