Heartbreaking tribute to ‘adored’ dad-of-four after sudden death

A heartbroken family have paid tribute to an “adored” Barnsley dad-of-four who tragically died.

Willy Cawley, 53, died suddenly on March 18 leaving his entire family heartbroken.

The family said their final goodbyes at his funeral on Wednesday at Shiregreen Cemetery with a plane drawing a loveheart in the sky on the day.

Willy, who grew up in Sheffield, had eight sisters and was the only boy in the family. He had moved to Barnsley with his family when he tragically passed away.

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Tragically, his dad Tommy Cawley died 15 years ago, leaving Willy as the only “man of the family”.

His cousin Kathleen Collins says that he was a “lovely person” who was “adored by his sisters”.

She said: “His mother Rosie has been left heartbroken for her one and only son. She looked after him until the day he died.

“His sisters adored him, he was a lovely person. Anyone who knew him never had a bad word to say about him.

“He is back with his father now in heaven. He had a beautiful send off and it was celebrated the way he would have liked it.

“He had four children and used to live in Sheffield but the family moved to Barnsley years ago.

“His mother was the love of his life, she was his queen.”

She added that she did not yet know how Willy had died.

A touching poem read out at his funeral said: “You gave no one a last farewell, nor ever said goodbye.

“You were gone before we knew it, and only God knows why.

“A million times we will miss you, a million times we will cry.

“If love alone could have saved you, you would have never died.

“In life we loved you so dearly, in death we love you still.

“In our hearts you hold a place, no one else can fill.”