A 'gentle' dad who died minutes before Liverpool's Champions League match against Benfica at Anfield was "in the best possible place he would have wanted to be".
Terrance 'Terry' Judge, from Rainhill, died after collapsing minutes before kick-off on Wednesday, April 13. Terry, 63, his son Oliver, 19, and brother had just got to their seats in the stadium when he said he wasn't feeling well.
Moments later Terry collapsed and dozens of Liverpool FC supporters, paramedics and stewards rushed to help him. He was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead.
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Terry's wife Louise, 50, said her husband's death came as a "huge shock" and the family is devastated. She added she was comforted by the hundreds of LFC fans who have paid tribute as well as her family and friends who have reached out over the last four days.
She told The ECHO : "A friend was behind him at the match and called me to tell me that Terry was not alone while he wasn't well, people were trying to help him. He also said he didn't seem to be suffering and we're taking comfort from that.
"There were doctors, paramedics, and people all there trying to help him. LFC was amazing, they paid for their [the family's] taxi from Anfield to the Royal so they could be with him. We have had a huge, beautiful bouquet from LFC and a call from the Chaplain, and that was on the anniversary of Hillsborough.
"We're taking comfort that he he was in the best possible place he would have wanted to be."
Terry worked as a computer operator for Camelot's National Lottery since they first won the contract in 1994. When he was younger he was in the LFC reserves and has held a season ticket for "his reds" for around 50 years.
Louise described her husband as a "very gentle person" who "would do absolutely anything for you". She said: "Football and family was his life and he was such a kind, warm and gentle man.
"He was a feeder, loved cooking a was a real chocoholic. He also adored his springer spaniel, Charley, who we got in January last year. He was besotted.
"He would do anything for you and was the most amazing dad to Oliver. When Oliver would go on nights out he would go and drive into town to get him at four in the morning just to make sure he got home safely.
"He wasn't very well over the last couple of years and wasn't going to the match as much, but he loved European nights and said he wanted to make an effort for Benfica."
Terry caught coronavirus after returning from Liverpool's match with Atletico Madrid in March 2020 and ended up being hospitalised. Louise said since he caught the virus he then suffered from long Covid and other heart-related problems.
Louise said: "He actually went to a cardiologist on Wednesday morning before the match after he said he 'couldn't live like this anymore'. He was struggling to put his socks on sometimes.
"They said his heart rate went from steady, to moderate and then to serious. He decided he had enough of living the way he was and wanted to change."
Since her husband's death, Louise said she was "overwhelmed" by the support she had received from LFC, Merseyside Police, the North West Ambulance Service, and the hundreds of people who have paid tribute to Terry and wanted to thank them.
Terry leaves behind, Louise, Oliver, Charley his brothers, Barry and Kevin, and his sister-in-law Jean.
