Covid: Your tributes to those who have died in Wales - BBC News
As Wales' coronavirus death toll passes 5,000, we share tributes to some of those who have died.
As Wales' coronavirus death toll passes 5,000 people, we are sharing some of your tributes to those who have died with Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Cheryl Saunders, from Abercarn in Caerphilly county, spent her whole 40-year career working in the NHS as a medical secretary in respiratory medicine, first of all in Caerphilly Miners' Hospital and later at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in nearby Ystrad Mynach.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. As the Covid death toll passed 5,000 in Wales, families have been sharing stories of the people behind the numbers

She still worked in respiratory medicine at the start of the pandemic, but was forced to stop working in the summer after being diagnosed with advanced metastatic renal - or kidney - cancer.

The mother-of-two and grandmother to twin three-year-old girls tested positive for coronavirus while in hospital and died, where she worked, at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, on 27 October 2020, at the age of 62.

Her desk at the hospital remains empty, where a candle burns in her memory.

Tommy Owen, from Pontardawe in Neath Port Talbot, worked as a bricklayer for the local authority from his teens until his retirement at the age of 63.

The eldest of five, Tommy fell ill in early April after catching the virus.

He was taken to Singleton Hospital in Swansea, where his family were unable to see him, before he died, aged 76, on 11 April.

He is survived by his son and two of his siblings.

Married couple Sharon and Malcolm Bamford died within days of each other on the same intensive care unit at Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Sharon worked at the hospital as a health care assistant at Singleton Hospital in Swansea for "many years", and in the haematology and oncology ward since 2005.

She died on 21 April 2020 at the age of 63, just a few days after her husband Malcolm.

At the time of her death, the health board said the mother-of-two was "highly thought of by all patients" and "loved by her colleagues and friends within the team".

Like so many in Wales, coal merchant John Williams was affectionately known across his local community by his job title.

"John the Coal", from Merthyr Tydfil, died at Prince Charles Hospital in his hometown on 25 November after contracting Covid-19.

Rosalind Cadwallader spent the majority of her career working as an "exceptional" cook at the brickworks in Buttington, Powys, where her husband was the manager.

After the works closed and her husband died, in 1999, Rosalind moved to Welshpool, before spending the final few years of her life at the Rhyallt Nursing Home in the town after the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

A "very generous lady who is greatly missed," Rosalind had three children, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

She died at her nursing home at the age of 88 on 24 April last year.

Cyril Barton, from Cardiff, died on 7 January 2021, aged 95, at University Hospital of Wales after contracting coronavirus shortly before Christmas.

Cyril served as a bomb aimer and bomber navigator in the RAF during World War Two, before playing a handful of matches in defence for Cardiff City after the end of the war.

He later worked for an advertising agency for more than 30 years.

Cyril was born in Grangetown, before moving to the Whitchurch area of Cardiff in 1955, when he bought his first and only house.

He was married to his wife Norma for 71 years and had two children and four grandchildren.

He is pictured on his 90th birthday having flown a Tiger Moth plane, 72 years after learning to do so in South Africa during the war.

Beverley Ford, from Ferndale in Rhondda Cynon Taf, was a healthcare support worker with the learning disability service for 36 years.

She began working at Hensol Hospital in 1984, before moving to Brynafon Learning Disability Unit in Ferndale in 2003.

Colleagues of the 55-year-old said she was "always going above and beyond".

She died in December after contracting coronavirus.

Gillian Dare, from Caerphilly, was a care home manager, working as across several homes for Caerphilly council until her retirement 11 years ago.

She died on 30 December at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil at the age of 71.

Her grandson said she was a "caring person who was larger than life," who spent "all the time she could with family".

Retired electrician Keith Board, from Cardiff, died with coronavirus just a few months after his 80th birthday.

Keith was married for more than 55 years to his wife Bernice and had three children and four grandchildren.

His family described him as a "social person" who "truly loved living and energised the room he was in with happiness".

Keith died at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on 8 October.

For one family, who all lived in the same block of flats in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, coronavirus was especially devastating.

Gladys Lewis, 74, and her sons Dean, 44, and Darren, 42, each died within five days of each other last autumn after contracting the virus.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. "My father-in-law is broken, he has lost his wife and his two children"

Dean's widow, Claire, told the BBC after their deaths that David Lewis was "broken" after losing his wife and two children.

A joint funeral was held for the family, in order to allow them to be together, while mourners clapped the coffins on the way to church.

Staff nurse Terry Andrews worked in hospital in Denbigh throughout his career.

Terry died on 15 April last year at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, at the age of 75.

He was married to his wife for 54 years and had two children, and his family said he would "always be our hero".

Margaret Thomas was inspired to be a nurse by her Auntie Mary, a midwife, before spending a career caring for people across Swansea.

After being trained at the nursing school in Craig y Nos, Powys, Margaret then worked at Swansea General Hospital in the casualty unit, before moving to Singleton Hospital and latterly Morriston Hospital, where she was promoted to sister.

She died at Morriston Hospital on 11 April last year after falling ill with coronavirus.

Sandra and Sid Humphries, from Port Talbot, died within five days of each other after contracting coronavirus.

Parents of three and grandparents to four children, Sandra, aged 73, died on 9 January, while Sid, 77, died five days later.

Their son Jason said the family will "love and cherish you for ever and you will love on in our hearts and memories".

Venice May Morris, from Barmouth, Gwynedd, died on 25 January 2021 after testing positive for Covid-19.

Her family said they will host a memorial, in which people can take part in Venice's favourite activity - bingo - as soon as they are able to do so.

Andrew Woolhouse worked as a porter at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff.

He became the sixth member of staff working for the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to die with the virus earlier this month, at the age of 55.

The health board's chief executive, Len Richards, said after his death that Andrew "often went the extra mile for our patients will be missed profoundly by everyone at Cardiff and Vale UHB".

John Whitfield was born in Dorrington, Lincolnshire, in 1942, and lived there, in Yorkshire and in Buenos Aires before moving to Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, at the age of 12.

In Penarth, he met his wife Sandra, who he married in 1968 and with whom he had three daughters.

John became a teacher at St Cyres school in the town, where he was a French teacher and later head of modern languages, speaking French, Spanish, Latin and Greek.

His family said his four grandchildren "adored him as the most boisterous adult they knew, but at the same time a model of patience and care".

John died at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, aged 78, on 19 December.

Father-of-two Alan Ward, 82, was "one of the kindest people you could meet," his daughter said.

The retired engineer moved from Porthcawl in Bridgend county to Mold in Flintshire to be near her two years ago.

He was also a "devoted" husband to Christine and "awesome" grandfather of five.

Alan died on 24 May at Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Regular poppy seller Gerald Jefferies from Newbridge, Caerphilly, was a well-respected member of the Abercarn British Legion and well-known for his commitment to improving his local area.

He died at at The Grange University Hospital on 31 December, the day before his 74th birthday.

He leaves his partner of 26 years, Gwyneth, his three children and three-step children. He was 'Bampi Ger' to four grandchildren, 12 step-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

"Never one to complain, we didn't realise quite how ill he was until it was too late," his step-daughter Donna said.

"There will always be an empty chair that no-one else will be able to fill."

Stephen Lane was described by his daughter as a "local legend" in his hometown of Blaenrhondda, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Stephen, a team leader for Network Rail, died at the age of 61 at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant on 31 October after 12 days in intensive care.

His two daughters, Gemma and Leanne, were at his side when he took his final breath

Gemma Emmanuel, his daughter, said: "My Dad was the kindest man you will ever meet, and was so generous. He was known by everyone for his generosity. He did not deserve to die so young and be taken from his family."

More than £3,000 was raised to have a memorial bench to Stephen placed in Blaenrhondda. The bench is currently being made.

Valerie "Val" Jones, spent most of her life living in Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

She had three sons - Martin, Wayne and Layton - who she mostly raised alone while working in pubs in the town, as well as singing in clubs alongside the likes of Dorothy Squires.

Val died at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant on 6 June 2020 at the age of 81.

Her son Layton said: "Not only my mother, you were my best friend, mentor and hero. I miss you every day."