Remembering Elvis-obsessed dad who died last Christmas
A family from Telford will spend Christmas without their beloved dad, grandad and husband, who was affectionately known as ‘Elvis’ because of his love of ‘The King of rock 'n' roll’.
Elvis - real name Roy Owen-Jones - was 82 years old when he passed away on 29 December 2024 after a blockage in his kidney.
His son, Darren, said: “It will be strange this Christmas without him. All of the big occasions without him for the first time have been tough. My mum and dad were together for 55 years, so it has been extremely difficult for her. She misses him a lot and is just trying to get through day by day.
“We didn’t celebrate Christmas last year because Dad was in hospital. This year we’ve tried to encourage mum to put up a tree and some decorations. We’ll all be together at Christmas to support her and each other through it.”
Kidney problems
Roy first experienced problems with his kidneys in the mid-1990s when he needed to have one removed due to damage in childhood. His kidney health worsened in the mid-2000s when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and emphysema.
Darren said: “Dad was a very proud man and wouldn’t accept much help from others as his health deteriorated. He didn’t like speaking about it and kept a lot of details private, even from me and my mum.
“He was very young at heart and before he became seriously ill in his sixties, he was very active. He was really into his sport and a keen gardener. However, in the last ten years of his life he couldn’t get out and about as much. Mum became his carer as his mobility worsened, and he became very frustrated.
“He had kidney stones but didn’t tell anyone until he collapsed with a blockage in his kidney. He spent three months in hospital before he died. It was hard seeing him suffer. Doctors tried multiple operations but couldn’t save his life.”
Elvis-inspired fundraiser
In March, Darren and his daughter, Megan, transformed themselves into Elvis - wearing fancy dress to run the Ironbridge Half Marathon. Together they raised over £1,000 for kidney research.
Darren said: “After Dad died, we wanted to give something back to help improve treatments for other patients. My daughter and I are both runners, and she suggested we take part in the half marathon for Kidney Research UK.
“We wanted to make the challenge personal, so decided to dress up as Elvis. Dad was obsessed with him and thought he looked similar – even though he didn’t! He copied the famous hairstyle, dying his hair jet back, and dressed flamboyantly. He owned loads of Elvis memorabilia, and we had plenty of Elvis-related tributes at his funeral.
“The fancy dress made the run a little trickier, but not too bad! It was amazing to receive so much support and raise the amount we did.”
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