TRIBUTES have been paid to a father-of-three from Prestatyn who died of cancer less than two weeks after he first saw a doctor about symptoms he had developed.
Robin Williams died aged 38 in the early hours of July 19, leaving behind his mother and father, two brothers, partner Natalie, and three children.
An online fundraiser page, set up by his brother Christopher to support funeral costs and living expenses for his family, has already raised more than £3,500.
You can donate yourself by visiting: www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-robin-williams-family.
Born and raised in Llanasa, Robin attended Ysgol Penmorfa and Prestatyn High School, before installing gas and electricity meters for a living.
Christopher celebrated the life of his late brother, who had lived in Prestatyn since he was 21, and who he described as a man who “always put his family first”.
He said: “Robin was incredibly caring, very well-liked, and naturally gifted at anything he did. He was an incredible family man; he had his first child at 21, and just devoted his life to his three children.
“Robin always put his family first; it was always family trips out which he most enjoyed. He’d take his own family to places that we used to go to as children, like Stratford-upon-Avon and Alton Towers.
“He just wanted to give his family what he had as a child.
“Known to many for his mischievous sense of humour and dry wit, Robin truly was loved by all who knew him.”
Christopher said Robin’s cancer was thought to have originated in his colon, but that an official diagnosis of cancer came only hours before his life support machine was switched off.
He was able to say one last goodbye to his mother and his partner before he died.
Robin’s funeral will take place at Denbighshire Memorial Park and Crematorium on August 4 at 2pm.
A staunch Everton supporter, those attending the service have been encouraged to wear royal blue in recognition of his love for the club.
Christopher hopes that the money raised will go some way towards supporting Robin’s partner and children, and urged anyone who thinks they may have cancerous symptoms not to ignore them.
Symptoms of colon cancer can include a persistent change in your bowel habits, rectal bleeding, persistent abdominal discomfort, weakness or fatigue, and unexplained weight loss.
He added: “We’re quite concerned about the family, because Robin was the main breadwinner, and his bank account is obviously now frozen.
“It’s just about supporting them through the next few months.
“We’ll never know, but Robin maybe ignored some symptoms because he was worried about looking after his family; he had a job where he wasn’t paid for sick days.
“He died less than two weeks after he initially went to the doctor’s; it was just so rapid.
“The doctors said they had never seen a cancer grow so quickly. It was so hard for them to diagnose, which I found quite difficult to understand.
“The passing of Robin leaves a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.”
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