GERRY RYAN’S daughter Bonnie has recalled the heartbreaking final chat she had with her dad before his tragic death.
Beloved radio jock Gerry passed away on April 30 2010 at the age of 53, leaving Bonnie and her four siblings – Rex, Babette, Bonnie and Elliott – heartbroken.
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Bonnie recounted the last conversation she had with her dad on her TikTokCredit: Tiktok
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Gerry with daughters Lottie and Bonnie RyanCredit: Alamy
Bonnie, who was just 17-years-old at the time of her father’s passing, has always been open about her experience with grief.
The now 32-year-old took to her TikTok account on the eve of her father’s 15th anniversary to recount the final conversation she had with him.
She said: “Today, fifteen years ago was the last time I ever spoke to my dad. It was on the phone and he was annoyed at me because I had gotten two parking tickets in the one week.
“Kind of fair enough, but anyway, I was annoyed at him cause he was annoyed at me. And I remember handing the phone away to my sister gong, ‘Ugh take it, he’s getting angry at me’.
“I didn’t say to him goodbye, and I didn’t say to him that I loved him.
“Little did I know the very next day I would find out that my dad had passed away and my whole word was going to be rocked forevermore.”
She added: “This is your reminder, don’t forget to say, ‘I love you’. Don’t forget that life is so fragile and you just don’t know what is coming around the corner.
“If you still have your parents just give them an extra squeeze, or whoever it is that you love in your life, because you just don’t know what could happen.”
Emotional fans flocked to Bonnie’s comment section to share some of their favourite memories of the late radio star.
One fan wrote: “Grew up listening to your Da on the radio, way ahead of his time.”
Bonnie Ryan shares traumatic moment she found out her dad passed away
Gayle gushed: “Where has that 15 years gone. Your dad was a great man. All of us that listened to his radio show felt like he was our best friend. I was devastated when I heard of his death. I really miss his voice.”
Susan commented: “Absolutely loved listening to your dad on the radio he was a legend.”
Ashleigh remarked: “Just loved turning on radio every morning to hear Gerry’s voice, always cheered everyone up.”
BONNIE’S TEARS
Another fan added: “I listened to your dad every morning on my way to college, I was so sorry to hear of his passing.”
Bonnie previously opened up about the traumatic moment she discovered her dad had “dropped dead”.
Bonnie posted a clip which read: “I had my bloods taken when I was 17 and was waiting for the results – I got called out of school and my doctor was there to collect me.
“So I 100 per cent thought to myself, ‘Oh jeeze, I’m dying’.
“But really she would tell me my dad had actually just dropped dead.”
FEAR FOR MUM
Following her adored dad’s sudden passing, Bonnie also admitted having an “overwhelming irrational fear” that she would lose her mother Morah Brennan.
In an honest Q&A on Instagram about grief, one fan wrote how they were suffering with the fear of their second parent dying and having none left.
Bonnie told how she could relate to the same fear and said: “Yes to this. I had an overwhelming irrational fear about this.
“When my dad died I wanted to wrap my mom in clingfilm and bubble wrap and leave her in a corner and say, ‘You just can’t move from here’.
“The fear will eventually go. I think it’s normal to be scared after you’ve lost one parent.”
LEARNING TO COPE
And Bonnie explained that her family have learned how to cope with the huge loss.
She said: “I think because my family and I have become so good at being so open around each other with talking about my dad that it’s just part of our every day conversation to bring him up.
“He’s brought up in the good situations.
“I think it’s about trying to become really comfortable with bringing them up in conversation.
“So when you bring them up it’s not like, ‘Oh God we don’t talk about it that much and now I’m really upset’. It’s more just natural.”