Accrington building firm boss dies, 44

9:20pm Wednesday 8th October 2008

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A 44-year-old Accrington building firm boss who ‘fought cancer to his last breath’ has died aged 44.

The wife of Kevin Dalton has told her grief at the death of the ‘love of her life’.

Linda Dalton said her husband Kevin had been ‘determined’ and ‘didn’t want to give up’ despite being told by doctors in January that his cancer was terminal.

Sheffield-born Kevin, who loved football, travelling and darts, first complained of pains in side and after tests doctors discovered he was suffering from kidney cancer.

His left kidney was removed but doctors found tumours had developed in spine, chest and head.

After months of gruelling treatment the Kevin, of Wellington Terrace, Accrington, who ran K&L Builders until 2005 and Dalton’s Maintenance in Back Water Street with Linda, died on Friday surrounded by family.

Linda, who met her husband while on a weekend away in Germany in 1994, said: “I was on a weekend break in September when I met him. He called me Carol Decker who sang China in Your Hand but he knew my name was Linda. Then by the end of October he tracked me down to Accrington.

“I was the love of his life.

“He would do anything for the people he loved.

”He was a boss. He was a strong willed.”

Linda said the family were in shock after being told the cancer was terminal.

She said: “He was determined and wouldn’t give up right until the end.

“The nurses said his was a very exceptional case and they were amazed at speed the cancer grew.

“All the doctors and nurses said he was so strong.

“He didn’t want to die and kept fighting.”

Brother Graham Dalton, 33, from Water, added: “Kevin proved a lot of people wrong with his illness because he never wanted to give up. He fought to the end even on his last breath.”

Kevin’s funeral takes place in Christ Church, Accrington, on Monday.

Linda hopes to take his ashes to Rhodes, in Greece, where he loved to go on holiday.