The community of Wigan has rallied behind a family who have been left devastated by the shock death of a beloved father-of-two. Gareth Lancaster, known as ‘Gas Gaz’ due to his plumbing work, leaves behind his fiancé Tandia, 22-month-old daughter Annie and seven-month-old son Albert, as well as his father Graham and siblings Jonathan, Ryan, Megan and Declan.
The 29-year-old was engaged to fiancé Tandia and his family were planning his 30th birthday party for October. Best friend Aiden Wilson, who grew up with the Baytree Road resident, was away on holiday when he heard the news last Friday (June 10), and was unable to drive home because of the shock.
“I should have been planning a best man speech not carrying his coffin,” Mr Wilson said. “When I first heard the news I thought it was a joke, he was fit and healthy.
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"He was a real family man. He was a workaholic who would work five or six days a week to provide for his family.
“He was not just my best friend, he was like my brother. He was a caring and energetic lad as well as a loving father who adored his children.
“Everything he did in his life was for his family. He will be missed by everyone. Life will never be the same again.”
The popular figure was well known by so many in the borough due to his extensive work for GSL and was a beloved regular in the Cherry Gardens Hotel and the Bowling Green pub, where a fundraiser will be held next Thursday (June 23, 7.30pm). His death is another huge loss for the family who are still recovering from the grief of losing Gareth’s mum, Adele, two years ago.
Mr Wilson and his partner Scott Braddock organised the event as well as the GoFundMe page which has already got more than £8,900 to help pay for the funeral and support Gareth’s family. The staff will be working free of charge and items and experiences - donated by dozens of local businesses - will be raffled off for money.
Gareth’s employer GSL provided a large contribution of £3,500 to the GoFundMe, which raised more than £5,000 within 36 hours of being created. The family have been completely blown away by the support of the community and are thankful for all the messages they have received.
“The family are so grateful for all the support,” Mr Wilson said. “It just shows how popular he really was.
“What happened was a complete shock and everyone is just trying to do their little bit. The family knew he was a popular figure but didn’t truly realise until now.
“They are really overwhelmed by this support. It also takes off the pressure from his father who is grieving his son as well as his late wife.”
A total of 142 donations have been submitted towards the fundraiser, which can be found here. The family wants this money to go towards giving Gareth the send off that he deserves.
If you feel distressed and would like to talk to someone, you could call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116123.
Mind can also be contacted on their Infoline: 0300 123 3393.
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