Dad dies while carrying son’s coffin at funeral in double family tragedy horror

Norman White was already hit with heartbreak and anguish after his darling son died, but the shock proved too much for Norman as he was hit with a sudden and lethal heart attack

Tragedy has hit a family twice as hard after a dad died during the funeral for his son. It is believed he suffered a heart attack whilst carrying his child’s coffin into the church. Norman White, 61, was already bereft after losing son David Bellicki at the age of just 41 when he seemingly dropped dead.

Son David had a long history of drug abuse, despite trying to get help for his addiction, with family members saying he had made huge steps forward trying to get clean.

However, exactly 10 years after discovering that his own children, Karson and Deacon, were stillborn, David was tragically found dead on a relative’s sofa on July 31. With his loved ones left in despair and shock, a small ceremony was to be held at St Bede’s Chapel by Teesside Crematorium on August 21, three weeks later.

Speaking to Teesside Live, David’s sister Chantelle revealed that he had been making excellent progress in trying to rid himself from narcotics, with the family being there to support him the whole way through. A police investigation into his death remains ongoing.

But as the ceremony for David got underway at the chapel, dad Norman — known to many as “Nosha” — suddenly suffered a major heart attack that eventually resulted in him collapsing as he carried his son’s coffin into the church. Emergency services were called to deal with the incident, but the man was pronounced a short time later, only adding to the family’s woes.

Chantelle admitted that the timing of both of their deaths resembled that of a movie, with David dying on the anniversary of his own children’s deaths; followed by Norman dying during David’s funeral. The mum-of four explained: “It has been so traumatic, you wouldn’t ever think of anything like this happening, you couldn’t write it.”

She recalled that as the family entered the building and sat down for the ceremony, she wondered where her father had gone. One frantic guest then rushed to the family to tell them that Norman had collapsed on the ground outside.

Ambulance staff were sent to deal with the incident, with Norman being rushed to hospital moments later. His sister opted to go with him to the hospital so David’s funeral could carry on as normal, but following the service they received the heartbreaking news that dad-of-seven Norman had also passed away.

When asked about how he could have died, Chantelle insisted that Norman had no prior health issues concerning his heart. “I think he must have died from a broken heart,” she said. “I think seeing all the family together like that must have been too much.”

All the while, the family is continuing to grieve for both David and Norman, both of whom made big marks on their local community. It was revealed that Norman was a keen boxing fan, even going as far as to coach several up-and-coming sportspeople.

While Norman may have been described as a private person, his family added that he was an incredibly well-respected member of the community, as preparations now begin for his funeral on September 18. Chantelle said as she sobbed: “He was my dad and I idolised him.”

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