A LOVING family amazed staff at East Cheshire Hospice when they handed over £2,377 in memory of their husband and father.

Graeme Grundy passed away at the hospice in early April after losing a year-long battle with oesophageal cancer.

The 62-year-old former builder and water engineer spent the last three weeks of his life at the hospice and son Stephen said his whole family were thankful for the care Graeme was given.

Stephen said: “It is a fantastic place.  The care was brilliant and it wasn’t just for my dad but for the family as well.  They allowed me to stay with him and I was there for nearly the full three weeks.

“The last week, my mother, brother and sister were staying as well.  We were made to feel so welcome and supported.”

Graeme, from Macclesfield, is survived by his wife Anne and children Stephen, 42, David, 36, and Gemma, 29, and six grandchildren.

Stephen said his dad loved life and had become a driver for the elderly and disabled after retirement.

He added: “He was a very loved man.  There was a huge turnout for his funeral – more than 300 people at St Alban’s Church, which made us all extremely proud.”

Donations at Graeme’s funeral were handed to the hospice last week.

“The hospice was a life-changing experience for us,” added Stephen.  We’ve been advised to take a year to mourn but then we want to give something back to help them.”

Hospice spokeswoman Amy Magee thanked Graeme’s family and friends for their generous donation.

“We are just pleased we were able to make his last days more comfortable,” she added.