An elderly couple have di£d just 41 hours apart after being married for 67 years.

The family of Geoff and Gerrie Gradus said they couldn’t live without each other.

Geoff, who had been suffering from frailty, di£d at home surrounded by loved ones at the age of 89. Gerrie di£d suddenly less than two days later, aged 86.

Their youngest daughter Ruth believes her mum “could not cope” with life without her beloved husband.

“Everyone says that they’ve never met a couple so in love,” she said.

“They were always holding hands. My dad was always giving mum a kiss. They were really sweet together.

“The minute my dad went into a hospital bed in the spare room, which was four days before he di£d, I think her body just started giving up. I think she would never have survived without him.”

The couple met while Gerrie was on holiday in Cliftonville aged 17, and she wed Geoff three years later. Their marriage began with heartbreak, as they lost their first two babies – twins – at birth.

They went on to have four more children and became known in Thanet’s Jewish community for their shop G’s Stores, which Geoff’s parents had previously run. The grocer’s, butcher’s and delicatessen was loved in Cliftonville for its doughnuts and cheesecake.

 

 

But with the rise of supermarkets in the 1980s, they sadly had to sell the store. The couple then bought and ran Wychdene Residential Home in Broadstairs.

Ruth said: “They were really caring. They were very much involved – hands-on. They used to take the residents out for trips and have people come in and do shows for them.”

“They did everything together, literally to the end,” Ruth said. “They used to play a lot of bridge; they did bowls. They always were very much involved in the committees of all of these places.

“My grandfather was president of Margate Synagogue, and then my father took over when he di£d. He and my mum used to do lots of fundraising for the synagogue and quizzes.

“They used to do loads of catering and events, and no one would kind of leave anything without a full belly, which I think is a Jewish thing.

“You couldn’t really go anywhere without people stopping and talking to them, which was lovely. They were much-loved and deeply respected members of the community.”

Ruth added: “They will always be remembered as a couple who gave so much to their community – and who remained side by side until the very end.”

The couple have been buried together in a joint service at Margate Jewish Cemetery.