A DEVOTED couple died within 48 hours of each other after 60 years of marriage.
Bob Kinnon, 82, died following a long battle with dementia and his wife, Marion, also 82, suffered a fatal heart attack as she arranged his funeral.
Nephew Geoff Thompson said yesterday he believed his aunt had died of a broken heart.
The couple, from Beauly near Inverness, married in 1953 when Mr Kinnon was a physiotherapist and his future wife was working as a nurse.
Mr Kinnon, who was suffering from dementia, died with his wife by his side at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness on April 7.
His devastated wife has been discharged from hospital for an operation to have gall stones removed the same day.
Mrs Kinnon was at home making plans for his funeral when she died on April 9.
Her body was discovered by a neighbour and the couple ended up having a joint funeral.
The couple moved to the Highlands from Portsmouth in 1988, and Mr Kinnon worked helping to rehabilitate those out of work.
Although the couple never had any children of their own, their nephew Geoff Thompson, who travelled from Sweden to attend the funeral, said he believed his aunt had died of a broken heart.
He said that after his uncle was diagnosed with dementia and moved to a care home, his Aunt had never given up on hoping he might be able to come home.
She made the 40-mile round to trip by bus from their home in Beauly to the care home in Inverness five days a week.
Speaking after the service, Mr Thompson said: “She was a just lovely auntie. She was a very strong, no-nonsense lady.
“She wanted Bob to come home, that was her objective.”
Local minister, Reverend Willis Jones said it was quite possible that Mrs Kinnon had died of a broken heart, but that it may have been what she wanted and was a fitting end to the devoted couple’s many years together.
The couple’s niece Mrs White, of Morecombe, Lancashire said she had been a bridesmaid for the couple at their wedding and had remained close with them after they moved to Scotland.
She said: “We were all shocked when we heard about what happened. I think we thought she would have carried on. I know she probably did have a broken heart. She put so much effort in keeping Bob buoyant and was tired out.
“She couldn’t have been on her own anyway so it is probably all for the best.
“She was lovely, kind, considerate and caring. They lived their lives for each other. They’ve never been apart and spent their lives wrapped up in each other.”
She added: “It was very unexpected. She had just had gall stones removed about 10 days before, so she must have been fine if they did that and let her out. The day she was discharged was the day my uncle was taken in, and he died that night.”
