A selfless man with a phenomenal work ethic and incredible sense of humour, Mark Lewis did everything for his family, giving them the best life he could, and always putting others at ease with his positive mental attitude. City Hospice provided specialist palliative care to Mark, 58, towards the end of his life.
Family man Mark enjoyed spending time with his loved ones, including his three grandchildren Oliver, Oakley and Frankie, and his dogs Jake and Mabel. He shared his wealth of knowledge with everyone around him, from his love of nature, fishing and music to useful DIY and construction tips. A qualified plasterer by trade, Mark worked within the construction industry for 40 years and continued to work right up until the summer before his passing.
Despite having no symptoms, Mark visited his GP in February 2023 for a ‘full MOT’ after his brother and father had both been diagnosed with cancer. Following bone scans and a referral to the urology department, Mark sadly received a diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer with extensive metastasis.
The Lewis family said: “As a family, we all felt the unfairness of his diagnosis due to how hard he worked in life, how young he was and how he never got to enjoy any kind of retirement. Dad’s lifechanging diagnosis prompted him to make the most of spending time with his family and his last holiday was spent camping with us and his closest friends.
“Dad had an amazing positive mental attitude and reminded us to have this attitude too throughout his illness. He was insistent that everyone continued with ‘business as usual’, even picking up his prescription in his work clothes to live as normal a life as he could after a terminal diagnosis. From sharing his thoughts with mum and protecting his children to arranging his own funeral and choosing music personal to him, Dad always did everything he could for us.”
The family had no prior knowledge of City Hospice until Mark was referred to their care almost immediately after his diagnosis. In addition to caring for Mark in the later stages of his illness, the charity also provided support for his family.
The family said: “City Hospice respected Dad’s wishes to live a normal life until he needed their care in the later stages. They were always there when needed and their care for Dad and our family was second to none.
“We were very grateful to have the same nurse, Lynnette, visit us regularly. She was our constant and the familiarity and comfort she brought undoubtedly helped in our final few weeks with Dad. She was honest, open and frank, and always had time to explain the process of what was happening to Dad and us. We never felt that any of our questions were trivial and she put us at ease, validating our emotions at one of the most difficult times in our lives in a sensitive way.
“As a family, we believe there are no words we can ever put together to truly thank Lynnette and City Hospice for the care they provided for Dad and the support they provided to us.”
After Mark’s passing in October 2024, his wife Lynda and children Jess, Jodie and Jordan have given back to the charity through fundraising and regular giving.
The family added: “To say thank you for the care we received, our friends and family helped us raise over £1,000 for City Hospice at Dad’s funeral and we donate to the charity monthly. This summer we purchased a daffodil, Dad’s birth flower, at Forever Flowers and we are proud to support the Light up a Life appeal by sharing our story.”
A donation made during the Light up a Life appeal will make a world of difference to a family facing terminal illness in the community. To donate, visit https://www.cityhospice.org.uk/get-involved/light-up-a-life/ or call 02920 524 150.
