Family garden to be created in memory of 36-year-old Portsmouth dad of three and ‘friend for life’ who died from Covid

‘Outgoing’ dad of three Barry Jackson, 36, tragically passed away on Boxing Day after 10 days in hospital.

Wife Lynsey Jackson, 32, full time mum to Lily, 15, Frank, three, and Elsie, two, says that Barry is very much missed.

She said: ‘The children send ‘I love yous’ up to the sky to their daddy, and they’ve got memory bears made out of his clothes.’

Seven months on from his death, the family want to create a garden oasis at the Buckland house they moved to after Barry died.

Lynsey said: ‘I want to make something for the kids to remember their dad, rather than going to the grave all the time.

‘Barry did love being in the garden and planting with the kids. From lockdown, that’s when he started making a go of the garden, growing chilis.

‘While they’re playing, they can do what they would have done with their daddy.’

The family plans to tidy the garden up, plant fruit and vegetables, grow sunflowers, and put up benches with memorial plaques.

Barry was a carer for his dad Bill, 76, and had worked at the homeless charity Stonepillow.

Lynsey said: ‘He was really outgoing, he had loads of friends - everyone that knew him had a friend for life.

‘Before he cared for his dad, he also worked with Creating Futures to help people start a new life.

‘Never known anyone to say a bad word about him.’

The couple had been together for five years after meeting online.

Lynsey said: ‘Barry took on Lily straight away, his whole family took us on from day one.

‘Lily was calling him dad quite quickly - there was a real connection between everyone.’

Barry fell ill shortly before Christmas, and an ambulance was called when he started to struggle with his breathing and became delirious.

Lynsey said: ‘When the paramedics came, I don’t think they realised that they would be taking him in and not coming back.’

Barry was put into an induced coma, and Lynsey received regular updates about his condition.

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She said: ‘I was rung on Christmas night and was told that they had run a full body scan and found that he had a blood clot, but he was responding well to treatment.

‘I went to bed happy and then was woken at about 2am on Boxing Day saying that I needed to go up there.’

Lynsey was able to be with her husband when he passed away.

She said: ‘The children were really different in the beginning. We were all sleeping in my bed for the first three months.

‘We have good and bad days. I’m in counselling, and my teenager gets one to one bereavement sessions at school.’

Only a limited number of guests could attend the funeral due to Covid restrictions.

Lynsey said: ‘There were several people of Barry’s age in the hospital. It was horrible to see.

‘We were doing everything we were told to.

‘This has shocked our whole family and I just don’t want anyone else to go through this - it’s not worth not wearing a mask for.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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