A family has been left shattered by a double tragedy after the father collapsed and died during his son’s funeral service. Norman ‘Nosha’ White, 61, is believed to have suffered a massive heart attack as his son David Beilicki’s coffin was being carried into the chapel.
David, 41, from Middlesborough, had battled long-term drug addiction, was found dead on a relative’s sofa exactly ten years after the memorial service for his stillborn twin sons, Karson and Deacon.
David’s sister, Chantelle Beilicki, revealed that her brother had been making significant progress in staying clean from drugs, with an investigation into his death still ongoing. She described the timing of his death on his sons’ anniversary, followed by their father’s death at the funeral, as something out of a film script.
The 42 year old mother-of-four said: “It has been so traumatic, you wouldn’t ever think of anything like this happening, you couldn’t write it.”
David passed away on July 31 with his funeral taking place on August 21 at St Bede’s Chapel, Yorkshire Live reports. It was here that, as the coffin was carried in, that David’s father Norman suddenly collapsed.
The chapel was evacuated as paramedics were called and Norman was rushed to hospital. His sister accompanied him in the ambulance while the rest of the family continued with the funeral service, only to later receive the devastating news that Norman, a father-of-seven, had passed away.
Their deaths have left an enormous hole in their families’ lives, with Chantelle struggling to come to terms with the tragic news. She clarified that Norman had no previous heart problems.
She said: “I think he must have died from a broken heart. I think seeing all the family together like that must have been too much.”
In the week following David’s funeral, Chantelle described being in a state of shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. Despite his struggles with substance abuse, she said David – who was also a father to his adult son Ethan and nine year old Jaxon – was deeply loved by everyone who knew him.
She stated: “He had a heart as big as the ocean. He is so missed.”
David lived with her and her family on Overdale Road in Park End, and she said: “My kids are devastated. The whole place just isn’t the same without him.”
Chantelle revealed that Norman was a boxing enthusiast and continued to coach others.
She portrayed him as a very private person who was nonetheless widely known and liked. She said: “He was my dad and I idolised him.”
Chantelle praised the team at Rose Funerals, saying: “They were fantastic throughout the traumatic event. Our family could not have got through that day without them. They were patient, caring and went through every emotion with us, all the time they were working to save my dad although they were traumatised too”.
Norman’s funeral service is scheduled forSeptember 18 at St Hilda’s Chapel at Teesside Crematorium at 1.30pm.