Very sad news. Captain Sir Tom Moore has passed away at the age of 100. The news was just confirmed by his family, via Twitter.
Captain Sir Tom, who became an overnight national treasure by raising almost £33 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps around his Bedford home, had been suffering from pneumonia. He tested positive for Covid last week. His family, who were with him at Bedford Hospital, paid tribute to the quality of care he was receiving over the weekend, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished him a speedy recovery.
The family have released a moving statement about his passing:
'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.
Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.
The care our father received from the NHS and carers over the last few weeks and years of his life has been extraordinary. They have been unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined.
Over the past few days our father spoke a great deal about the last 12 months and how proud he felt at being able to leave behind the growing legacy of his Foundation.
We politely ask for privacy at this time so we can grieve quietly as a family and remember the wonderful 100 years our father had.
Thank you.'
Naturally, the high profile tributes are already pouring in after the sad announcement. The Queen, a representative stated, will send a private message of condolence to his family.
Piers Morgan has called him a 'magnificent man' and 'a national hero.'
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called the announcement 'incredibly sad news', and applauded him as 'a hero.'
Boris Johnson followed with his statement:
Before finding fame in 2020 at the age of 99, Captain Sir Tom served in India in World War Two, and was a contestant on Terry Wogan's Blankety Blank in the 1980s. His benevolence, however, made him a surprising household name, and he even became the oldest individual in British history to hit number one in the charts via his participation in a charity single, You'll Never Walk Alone.
Rest in peace.
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