John Rycroft was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer after his wife of 50 years, Margaret, went into residential care for her Alzheimer's. Margaret being away left John feeling lost and lonely, which led to him joining the 'Men Do' project.
John was 75 when he passed away recently, John was an involved member of the Men Do project. Carers First would like to honour his memory in sharing his story and some of the impact he had on others in the group.
‘Men Do’ supports male carers aged 50 and over, offering a range of activities to tackle loneliness and build connections.
Although John made sure to visit Margaret every day, Men Do gave a new lease of life in a difficult time. John had a love of all things military and his first trip with ‘Men Do’, in November 2019 was to Lincoln’s International Bomber Command Centre, followed by a private screening of The Dam Busters.
John continued to attend activities and events and was incredibly popular, always encouraging and having an ear for anybody. He developed close friendships with several members of the group, that he checked in with regularly, because he knew the pain of being on his own too.
John said "Men Do brings a reason for living, to men who are not going through the best part of their lives.”
Several of John’s friends from the ‘Men Do’ project attended John’s funeral to pay their tributes.
His son Johnathon said: “Thank you for everything you did for my dad. When Mum went into the home he really struggled, but you got him smiling again. He always talked about where he had been and what he had done, and I know he made some good friends in the group too."
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