Emergency workers and NHS staff lined the streets in tribute to a nurse and his parents who died after contracting Covid-19.
Father-of-two Keith Dunnington, who worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, as a staff nurse and spent 30 years on the front line, was 54 when he died after contracting coronvirus in April.
His mother Lillian, 81, and father Maurice, 85, then both passed away in hospital, days apart in May, after also contracting Covid-19.
Emergency workers and NHS staff lined the streets in tribute to nurse Keith Dunnington, 54, and his parents Lillian, 81, and Maurice, 85, from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, who died after contracting Covid-19
Father-of-two Keith worked as a staff nurse at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. He died in April after contracting coronvirus. His parents then both passed away in hospital, days apart in May
Ahead of the funeral service on Saturday, nurses, firefighters and well wishers lined the streets at the back of South Tyneside District Hospital to give the family a touching send-off.
The funeral cortege passed the rear of the hospital at around 9.20am, with people in place lining John Reid Road.
A service then took place at South Shields Crematorium but was restricted restricted to immediate family.
Amazing Grace by Il Divo was played in tribute to Maurice and Streets of London, by Ralph McTell, was played in tribute to Lillian. It was her favourite song.
Donations instead of flowers have been welcomed and can be made to Living Waters Church at Laygate, in South Shields.
The funeral cortege passed the rear of the hospital at around 9.20am, with people in place lining John Reid Road
And nurses, firefighters and well wishers lined the streets at the back of South Tyneside District Hospital to give the family a touching send-off
A service then took place at South Shield Crematorium but was restricted restricted to immediate family. Pictured: Firemen line the route of the funeral cortege
Mrs Dunnington died on Friday May 1 and was holding hands with Mr Dunnington, who had been brought to her bedside from his ward by hospital staff, in her final moments.
Mr Dunnington then died within days.
Speaking ahead of the service, 55-year-old Debbie Harvey – Keith’s cousin and his parents’ niece – said the three were ‘really loved’ and would be ‘greatly missed’ by all who knew them.
Nurse Keith, was father to Ben, 21 and Olivia, 17, and had trained to become a nurse in Birmingham. His family said he ‘gave 200%’ to everything he did.
At the time of his death, he was employed by agency Pulse Jobs.
Amazing Grace by Il Divo was played in tribute to Maurice and Streets of London, by Ralph McTell, was played in tribute to Lillian. It was her favourite song
Donations instead of flowers have been welcomed and can be made to Living Waters Church at Laygate, in South Shields
Mrs Dunnington died on Friday May 1 and was holding hands with Mr Dunnington, who had been brought to her bedside from his ward by hospital staff, in her final moments
‘He looked after people so well and stood up for them,’ Ms Harvey said.
‘He would stand up to the highest consultant if he thought his patient was in danger or needed help.’
A champion swimmer for South Tyneside, Keith – who attended Laygate and Mortimer Schools – took home countless prizes and trophies.
He also acted as a scout for Sunderland AFC when he first left school.
Yvonne Ormston MBE, chief executive of Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, paid tribute to him as a ‘popular and hard-working’ member of the nursing team in a message to staff following his death.
Mr Dunnington then died within days of his wife. Pictured: Mourners line the route of the family’s funeral cortege
His father Mr Dunnington was well-known around town after working for Stagecoach both in the buses and at the depot.
He was also a devoted supporter of the British Legion and a ‘brilliant singer’ who enjoyed a spin on the karaoke machine.
Ms Harvey remembered her uncle as ‘larger than life’ and went on to say she would always treasure memories of afternoons spent together as a family and Christmases at ‘Auntie Lillian’s’, where she would put on a fantastic spread of food ‘enough to feed the 300’.
Speaking ahead of the service, 55-year-old Debbie Harvey – Keith’s cousin and his parents’ niece – said the three were ‘really loved’ and would be ‘greatly missed’ by all who knew them
Mrs Dunnington previously worked at South Tyneside College’s Winterbottom Hall as a catering assistant.
Ms Harvey added: ‘She was a lovely, quiet, private person – and she had the most generous, loving heart.’
The family has been ‘overwhelmed’ by messages in tribute to Keith and his parents following their deaths.
Ms Harvey, who lives in South Shields with husband Doug, added: ‘I think it’s important that people realise the virus is deadly.
‘It’s too early to lift lockdown as people are dying. It’s wiped out a whole family.’