A "kind and caring" man with a love for travel died while on holiday in Vietnam with his wife following heart surgery, an inquest has heard.
The inquest into the death of Derek Owen was held at Suffolk Coroner's Court by Dr Daniel Sharpstone.
It heard that Mr Owen, 68, lived in Bungay with his wife after moving to the town to retire in 2018.
In their retirement they desired to travel more and enjoy the countryside.
On April 23, 2023, the couple left their Bungay home for a "dream" holiday in Vietnam.
Throughout the trip, Mr Owen suffered from persistent headaches and fevers. Then on May 1, 2023, he suffered a stroke.
He was admitted to the University Medical Centre in Ho Chi Minh City where his condition worsened.
On May 8, 2023, Mr Owen underwent critical open heart surgery due to an aortic valve becoming weak.
But while recovering from the surgery, on May 12, 2023, Mr Owen died from a large haemorrhage of the heart due to the aortic valves being weak.
COMPLAINTS
Mrs Owen said in a statement that her "world stopped" after Mr Owen died.
She lodged complaints against Bungay Medical Practice and Papworth Hospital.
His wife was unhappy with Bungay Medical Centre not providing documents the insurance company requested until eight days after Mr Owen was admitted to the Vietnamese hospital.
The surgery said they had made policy changes following the incident and apologised for the delay and "distress" caused to Mrs Owen.
The coroner sympathised with Mrs Owen who was "left on her own" in an "unfamiliar country and setting", with her "life partner becoming drastically unwell".
WIFE'S HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE
A statement read on behalf of Mrs Owen said her husband had a "love of aviation" which stemmed from plane models he made as a child and from his dad fighting for the RAF in Burma.
Mr Owen had a love for motorbikes and rode to work each day regardless of the weather.
He was described as a "kind and loving" and a "gentle, gracious, sensitive "funny" man.
READ MORE: Women intimidated by masked man they say has been 'following' them around town
READ MORE: Former police officer, 49, died from alcohol abuse to 'self-medicate' PTSD
READ MORE: Tributes to rugby player, 23, after body found at children's play area
Mrs Owen said the "sudden and unexpected loss" of her husband has been a "crushing loss causing heartbreak that can never be healed".
In addition, she said "the traumas continue to impact me daily", "my world stopped on that day" and "not a day goes by without yearning for his presence".
The coroner read the medical cause of death to be a catastrophic haemorrhage of the aortic valve in the heart after the operation.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here