Couple married for 61 years die on same day

A Leeds couple died on the same day after more than 60 years of happy marriage. The funerals of Blanche and Stanley Dale, both in their 90s, were held on Friday after they both died of pneumonia in the same hospital within hours of each other. Blanche, 90, and Stanley, 94, had met at a church in Halton and married in 1949.

Stanley was a conscientious objector during the Second World War and worked on a farm. When it was over he became a primary school teacher. After they married, Blanche stayed at home, helping out occasionally with fundraising for Seacroft Hospital. Stanley taught at Quarry Mount Primary, retiring in the 1980s.



Although they enjoyed a long and happy retirement, the couple eventually became too frail to care for themselves and moved into the Willow Bank Nursing Home at Cross Gates where, on March 4, Blanche was taken ill and was was admitted to the Leeds General Infirmary. Now suffering from dementia, Stanley knew his life-long partner was missing but not that she was in hospital.

A fortnight after Blanche was taken to the LGI, Stanley also fell ill and was also admitted to hospital. He died of pneumonia at 8am on March 23. Unaware her husband was also ill until 24 hours earlier, Blanche also succumbed to pneumonia at 4.30pm on the same day. Niece Alma Heaps said: “Neither knew the other was so ill so there was no heartache. The fact they both died on the same day after so many years together was a sad coinicidence.”