Mike Wake was know by many in his community
Mike Wake, from Banks, died aged 68(Image: Hannah Wake)
A “kind” and “caring” dad-of-three who had the “biggest heart” sadly died following a long battle with cancer. Mike Wake, from Banks, “touched the hearts” of many before he died aged 68, earlier this month after contracting sepsis following chemotherapy.
His daughter, Hannah Wake, 32, told the ECHO, how Mike was “thoughtful, kind” and had a “witty sense of humour,” that made everyone laugh.
Originally from Sunderland, the dad worked away at sea from the age of 17 as a maritime engineer for the Merchant Navy. It was while based on the docks in Liverpool that he met his wife Glenda Wake, 69, through a mutual friend.
The pair hit it off immediately and got married in 1980 and bought their first home together in Banks, where they raised three children and spent the next 44 years of their lives together, until Mike sadly died on April 13.
Hannah said: “He was Sunderland born and bred but was working away in Liverpool when he met my mum and they hit it off straight away. They moved into our house when they got married and it has been the family home ever since. My mum still lives here and I can’t ever see it going.
“He retired from the Navy around 40 years ago and had a few jobs before he became a driving instructor. He just decided one day that that was what he was going to do, he loved driving and was always good at teaching, he taught us everything we knew, he was very patient and that shone through when he became an instructor.”
Mike Wake with his wife, Glenda, and their three children, Hannah, Ben and Kyle(Image: Hannah Wake)
Mike was a driving instructor for 18 years and became so well known in the community for being the “go to” person when learning to drive. Following his death hundreds of people have left kind messages to the family saying how he touched their lives.
Hannah said: “To us he was just dad but it just shows how many people have been impacted by him, it’s been so heart warming reading all the tributes.”
But that was the “kind of person” Mike, who has three children, Hannah and her two older brothers, Ben, 40, and Kyle, 38, was, says Hannah. She said: “He had three kids and 11 grandchildren and he loved every single one of them. He was fantastic to us and to them.
“He was very special. I remember we used to go camping all the time when we were kids, we have so many memories. We have been going through all the pictures and there are thousands and thousands of memories.
“Dad was witty, he had a quick sense of humour. He was always watching football, he was an avid Sunderland fan. My mum is an Everton fan and whenever they would play each other there was a massive divide in the house.
“At one point he worked in a waste manager place for a sweet factory and he would always come home with wonky sweets and biscuits and the kids in the street would knock on our door asking if he was in so they could have some, he was well known for it, it’s some of my favourite memories of him.
“When we were kids we’d always be in the garden, as soon as there was a flicker of sunshine the swimming pool was out, the BBQ. He loved golf too, he always played golf, he would play with my brothers.
“Growing up I had horses, he didn’t know one end of a horse to another, but he would come to every competition with me, he would always be there. And, whenever anything would go wrong his main mantra was ‘Han, if all else fails there’s cake.’ He had the biggest heart ever.”
Mike was diagnosed with leukaemia around three years ago following a routine check up at the doctors after feeling unwell. Hannah said: “He dealt with everything and took it in his stride but unfortunately he had to retire around two years ago because his health deteriorated.
“He had already been through two rounds of chemo. He had just finished his third course of chemo and unfortunately he ended up with sepsis and his body just wasn’t strong enough to fight. And, he put up a bloody good fight.
“He was taken into hospital on Monday [April 7] and he fought and fought and fought until Sunday [April 13]. Mike sadly died on Sunday, April 13, morning surrounded by his family.
His family want to thank Southport and Ormskirk hospitals for their “phenomenal” support during Mike’s cancer battle. Hannah said: “They made a really hard time bearable.”
A funeral service for Mike will be held on Friday, May 9, at 11am at West Lancashire Crematorium, Pippin Street, Burscough. The family have asked for any donations to be given to Leukaemia UK.