A YORK couple who were married for 58 years died within a day of each other.

Anne Swift died surrounded by her family on April 27 at the age of 78, and her husband Ken died the following day at the age of 80.

The couple, who lived in Clifton Moor, were both former medical and mental health workers, and had been in hospital for separate illnesses prior to their deaths on April 27 and 28.

Their daughter Lis Johnstone received a call at 5.30am asking her to come to the hospital as Ken had taken a turn for the worse, but as she was on her way to his room, she received another call to tell her Anne was unresponsive.

She said: “Mum was peaceful but unresponsive and for an hour and a half it was really quiet, it was so lovely I just sat by mum’s bed. The nurse said she knew I was there because her breathing settled. It was just the most incredibly beautiful hour and a half. All her loved ones were there, and she passed at 1.15pm, just after her granddaughter gave her a kiss.”

Following Anne’s death, Lis went to Ken’s bedside, and they spoke for several hours, with members of the family also joining them.

Lis said: “I spoke to dad about mum’s passing, he was alert and didn’t give up, he was still fighting but there’s no way they would have wanted to be without each other.

“We were both tearful but we were able to be together and comfort each other. He couldn’t really put sentences together but said he understood and he was glad mum was peaceful.

“He was laughing because we hadn’t brought him anything good to eat, then he passed away peacefully in the morning. If they could have written their own script... Dad always said you see some bad deaths, people who are very poorly and isolated in their own memories. That wasn’t the case for mum and dad.”

Lis said her parents - who had first met in Caerphilly and “grew up in a tiny little Welsh town” - had inspired members of their family to go into the medical profession, and had always “worked for each other and for us all”. The couple lost two sons - Martin in 2015, and Kevin in 1996 - but are survived by their children David and Elisabeth, and grandchildren Hannah, Stephen, Andrew and Daniel.

A service of thanksgiving for the couple will be held at Clifton Moor Community Church on Friday, June 2, at 3pm. The family have requested donations in lieu of flowers.