Everton fan Terry Riley was a regular at city centre pubs
Terry Riley on his last visit to The Queen of Hope Street, eight days before he died(Image: Family handout)
A terminally ill dad left his hospital bed to make one last pilgrimage to his local pub. Terry Riley, 75, was a regular at The Queen of Hope Street since its grand opening in 2023, and would often journey through the many old-fashioned pubs from Liverpool city centre to the Georgian Quarter.
The dad-of-three, who once worked in customs at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, was diagnosed with lung cancer in January after suffering a sore back and unexpected weight loss. The disease quickly progressed and he moved into palliative care at Clatterbridge cancer centre.
His daughter Emma, 35, said: “He was probably the funniest person I’ve ever met. He was a huge fan of music, particularly the Beatles, and he was so kind. He was a great person to be around. He had a lot of close friends
“He was very cool, is the way I’d describe him. I don’t think many people would have a bad word to say about him. Even until the day he died he was still cracking silly jokes, making everyone in hospital laugh. His sense of humour was what he was best known for.
Terry Riley on his last visit to The Queen of Hope Street, eight days before he died(Image: Family handout)
“He used to go out with two of his old colleagues every week, and they’d go to The Vines every Thursday without fail, the Queen of Hope Street, St Peter’s Tavern, The Monro, all the old-fashioned pubs.
“We managed to get to the Queen of Hope Street on April 30, and he passed on May 8. We wheeled him down in his wheelchair. He was in really good spirits. We spoke to the staff at Clatterbridge and they hooked him up to an oxygen machine.
“He took great pleasure directing us in his wheelchair. He loved Liverpool as a city and was showing us the different buildings, what they used to be. He had a great time.”
Terry with his wife Lynn and children Michael, Steven and Emma(Image: Family handout)
Terry died on May 8, but had told his family he didn’t want a traditional funeral, instead opting for a memorial party at one of his favourite pubs, The Vines on Lime Street, on Friday, October 10.
Emma said: “When he was still alive and we knew he didn’t have long left he was planning his own memorial. He didn’t want a classic funeral. I knew the pubs didn’t have private hire rooms, but I thought I’d drop them a message and the kindness has been unbelievable. He was over the moon to learn it would be in The Vines.
“He’s going to be there in his spirit. I’m so grateful for them. I think he knows people are going to be impressed, so it was lovely to be able to tell him that it was all sorted before he died.
“He said he didn’t want people wearing black, he wanted his own playlist going, because he had a huge playlist prepared, very Beatles heavy. There’s a lot of old rock and he loved Motown. There was a couple that took us by surprise, a Girls Aloud song and a bit of Lady Gaga. He had a very eclectic music taste.
“He didn’t want a traditional funeral, but he wanted these songs.”
Terry was a pub regular with his friends John Buchan and Mal Riley(Image: Family handout)
She added: “Losing him was horrendous, but he was very much upbeat until the end. He was constantly making jokes. I think he was doing it to help us. I’m forever grateful to him for that. Every day we’d be in hospital with him but we’d be laughing. Obviously there were bad moments as well.
“For a few days before (he died) he was asleep. But when he was awake I managed to get in and we watched Everton together on his last day awake. He was a huge Everton fan.”