Clare Duffy: Mom-of-two, 41, dies in sleep after complaining of sore shoulder leaving family shattered
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM: Mother-of-two Clare Duffy was going to take a nap as she had a sore shoulder and had asked her husband to wake her up if she overslept. That was the last time her husband, Richard, saw her alive as she died in her sleep. When he went to check in on her, she was unresponsive and did not respond to any of his attempts to wake her.
Richard quickly called emergency services, hoping they could help, but it was all in vain. Duffy, 41, was declared dead on Sunday, January 8. “I was emotionally distraught,” Richard, 38, told the Manchester Evening News. “I was screaming. I ran into my daughter’s bedroom and I was straight on the phone to emergency services. It doesn’t feel real but it all feels like a blur. It went by so quickly,” he said. It was later found out that Duffy had died of pulmonary embolism.
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Family in shock
Duffy and Richard have two children, Harry, 16, and Alice, 15. Duffy's mother, Catherine, had also died on December 19, 2022, just over a month ago. "[Catherine’s death] is still under investigation,” Richard said, adding, “It was a big shock. She had not been well for a while and was on a lot of painkillers. [Clare] spent a lot of time with her mum, she had to drive past her house to get to work so she saw her on a daily basis.”
Duffy was very well liked by her family, friends and colleagues and has been described as a "beautiful, wonderful and bubbly" person who "everybody liked." “Everybody she met liked her,” Richard said, adding, “Her family was her main interest. Any spare time she spent with her daughter, son, nephews or nieces. She was very family-orientated.”
Clare and Richard Duffy were about to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary
Duffy and Richard's 10-year wedding anniversary was just around the corner, before her untimely death. Their children are now struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of their beloved mother. “My son is still closed off. It was worse for my daughter. While I was on the phone to paramedics, her bedroom was right next door. She heard everything that was going on," Richard said.
A GoFundMe has been created to help the Duffys through with the funeral proceedings. “I am humbly asking for a little help so that I can give Clare and her mum the send off they deserve and I am in the process of trying to do this. I know Clare and Cath were both loved by so many of the people they met in their eventful lives and I am hoping to show that one more time,” the fundraiser read.
Soon after, Richard posted an update on the page, giving details about the funeral service and thanking those who had contributed towards his fundraiser. “Hi everyone, we now have a date for the funeral for Clare and Cath. It will be held at Peel Green Crematorium on Tuesday 14th February at 1:40pm. There will be a small wake being held at the Dutton Pub on Barton Rd, Eccles afterwards. I cannot thank you all enough for the love, warmth and help I have received from everyone. It all means more than you could ever know,” the update on the fundraiser read.