Roy Hannibal

My Dad, My Hero
26th Feb 1940 - 6th October 1997
He was a roofer for most of his life then became a bus driver later on in life.
He was born in Walthamstow, London. He also lived in County Durham for a while then in Leyton, London for many years. He & his wife of 25 years, Peggy moved to Clacton on Sea, Essex in 1992.
Roy was the 2nd youngest of 12 children of which only 1 is still with us. He & Peggy had 8 children between them. I'm the only child they had together.
They also have numerous grand children & great grand children.
I miss him so much.

My dad suffered from a brain haemorrhage in May 97 and was initially taken to Colchester General Hospital then transferred to ICU in Old Church Hospital in Romford for several brain operations, all of which were a success. He was moved back to Colchester General Hospital in the August of 1997 for rehab.
The treatment he received from the hospital was absolutely appalling. He was kept sedated even after we requested the sedation be stopped. He contracted MRSA, had several severe bed sores and was often left with the blinds pulled down in his room so he couldn't catch the attention of the nurses.
When he died in the October, we were told he had died from a 'cardiac event' by 1 of the nurses, which was later denied. The hospital post mortem stated he had died from his brain haemorrhage & pneumonia. This was also put on his death certificate. Because of the 1st comment about the cardiac event, we arranged for a private post mortem to be carried out. He was transferred to London for this but we were contacted by them stating that the post mortem couldn't be completed as his body was not complete. His brain had been removed.
Apparently, signing a post mortem form and crossing out that organs be removed for transplant leaves the only other option that 'tissue' be removed for science purposes. Nowhere did/does it state that the Brain comes under this category!
Once the hospital found his brain - which had been 'lost' the private post mortem stated that he did NOT have pneumonia but had actually died from Heart Disease. When we challenged the hospital, they had also miraculously 'lost' some of the medical notes but told us they had known from the day of his collapse that he had serious heart disease & that he would have died anyway. Shame they never told us that before we put him through all those brain operations!
We tried fighting the hospital for 6 years for some sort of recognition that they were in the wrong... you try fighting these people. You have no chance!

My dad was the most loving, caring & funniest man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He would do absolutely anything for anyone. His family were always the forefront in his mind and his wife, my mum, was his whole life.
He spent many of his younger years working in pubs in East London, and as I have since found out, he wasn't someone you wanted to be on the wrong side of! He would help anyone out if they needed it, but cross him or hurt any of his family or friends and you knew about it.

He was always making up silly stories and songs for us to sing along to in the car on long journey's. The songs I have now taught my son to sing.
Driving anywhere in the car, he would always point out someones roof he had fixed many moons ago, or even a lampost or tree he'd pee'd up! Didn't matter where he was, he always knew someone. He could be in Outer Mongolia and meet up with someone he knew.

Later in life after moving to Clacton, he had mellowed and was just happy to do his job (even though he hated bus driving) then come home & spend his time with my mum. Pottering around in his garden with the 'polystyrenes' as he liked to call all mum's flowers.

It's now 14 years this year since my Dad left us. I still miss him so much and he's in my thoughts everyday.
He never got to meet my son, Charlie Roy who was born in 1999 - he would've adored his grandson. Charlie looks up into the sky, finds the brightest star and says that it's Grandad watching over us.

My dad is in my heart now and forever will be.

I love you Dad
Love your youngest, Kelly xx