The family of a Suffolk boat builder who died from an asbestos-related cancer is seeking help from his former colleagues to determine if the disease was linked to his work history.
John White, known as Russel, died aged 70 in September 2023 just days after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung associated with exposure to asbestos, a fibrous material that is resistant to heat.
However, his family - including wife Sarah, 62, son Tom, 29 and daughter Lucy, 27 - are still searching for answers as to how he was exposed to asbestos and are asking his workmates to come forward with information about the working conditions he would have faced.
READ MORE: What is asbestos and how do you identify the material?
Russel worked for ship builder A V Robertson Ltd - based in Lime Kiln Quay in Woodbridge - for nine years before leaving in 1978 and working for Frank Knights (Shipwrights), also in Woodbridge, from 1978 to 2001.
He told his family that he believed he may have come into contact with asbestos when removing rope from old boat exhausts so maintenance work could be performed.
His wife said the speed in which he deteriorated robbed him of the chance to find the answers as to how he became ill with mesothelioma.
She added: “Russel was always a practical man and as soon as he heard his diagnosis, he wasted no time in taking steps to find out more and work on establishing the truth.
READ MORE: Woodbridge news
“Finding the truth about Russel’s asbestos exposure meant so much to him. It was his last wish and Tom and I want to do everything to see it honoured.
“If anyone who worked with Russel could get in contact we’d be very grateful.
"We only know the details Russel gave us before he died, so any further information could make all the difference to us.”
READ MORE: Suffolk news
Russel was a keen angler and would go on regular fishing holidays with his son, both in the UK and abroad, while he was a classic car enthusiast, especially American models and had a keen interest in sailing during his early years.
In his later years he would go on walking holidays with his family to Derbyshire and Yorkshire, which kept him in good health, but by the end of 2022, he had developed a persistent cough.
His cough and symptoms, such as pins and needles down his right side, worsened in 2023, so he went to see a GP where he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Sarah said: “It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since we lost Russel, it all still feels so raw and it’s difficult to accept we’ll never see him again.
“There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think or speak of him to keep his name and memory alive.
"We’re doing our best to move on, but life will never be the same for any of us without Russel.
“Russel was a talented man, a wonderful husband and dad who lived for his family and would do anything for anyone.
"He had such a thirst for life and he didn’t deserve to have his final years cut short by this terrible illness."
Anyone with information on Russel’s work history should contact Natalia Rushworth-White at Irwin Mitchell on natalia.rushworth-white@irwinmitchell.com or call 01223 791893.
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