AN RAF veteran who served in the Suez Crisis died just moments after hearing the National Anthem for the final time on the televised Remembrance Sunday service.
George Fearnehough was wearing his General Service Medal and had a poppy pinned to his chest as he passed away with a smile on his face, his daughters Linda Goddard and Jean Christian said.
Linda, aged 55, said it was a fitting way for her dad to go. The former Leading Aircraftsman in the RAF had guarded the Suez Canal during the early days of the Cold War between the West and Russia in 1952.
"He loved that medal," she said. "His time in the RAF was always something he would talk about.
"He heard the National Anthem from the Remembrance Day service and then did this little smile. It was only a few minutes after that that he slipped away.
"It was really sad but it was very peaceful, and we're glad he didn't have to suffer."
Mr Fearnehough, from Longley Avenue West, Shirecliffe, worked during the Suez Crisis trying to stop arms smuggling, by watching for gun-runners along the canal.
The father-of-four had to be parted from his late wife Eva, and their eldest daughter Jean, now 59, when he went out to serve. He received his General Service Medal more than 50 years later, and featured in a story in The Star which he framed and proudly hung at his home.
On his return from Egypt he and Eva had three more children - Linda, son David, 51, and daughter Sharon, 41, who is disabled.
He worked as a bricklayer all his life, until he retired when he was 63 to look after Sharon. He continued as her carer into his late 70s, and was still doing building work up until last year.
He died aged 77 after being diagnosed with cancer a month before.
Linda said her father, also a grandfather-of-seven and great-grandfather-of-14, was a doting dad who worked hard all his life to support his family.
She said: "Every one of us he would have done anything for.
"He liked a good laugh and a joke, but every conversation you had with him would normally come back round to either the RAF or building!
"He had a wooden box with all his photos and memories in, and he'd often get things out and say, 'Have I told you about the time...'.
"The RAF was a big part of his life so when he received that medal I'd never seen anyone look so happy. It was brilliant."
The family plan to put the medal and the article from The Star on Mr Fearnehough's coffin at his funeral, to be held on Thursday at City Road Cemetery at 11.45am.
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