Secret Santa Roy loses fight for life

Roy Taylor on his final Christmas giveaway last month, with his daughter Debbie

ROY TAYLOR, who for the past decade was best known for his Secret Santa gifts of £10 notes to Oldham shoppers every Christmas, has died.

The 69-year-old great-grandad from Shaw, who handed out thousands of pounds of his own savings and raised an equal amount for charity, lost his battle with cancer in the early hours of yesterday.

Roy passed way in Dr Kershaw’s Hospice only three weeks after he appeared on the Chronicle’s front page announcing this was likely to be his last Christmas giveaway.

His daughter Debbie Morris says he went in to Dr Kershaw’s for pain relief, expecting to return home after a couple of weeks. But his condition deteriorated. She and her mother Denise spent the last few days of his life by his bedside.

“They told us on Monday afternoon he was nearing the end so all the family came down and spent the last few hours with him,” said Debbie. “There was the odd hand squeeze to just let us know he knew we were there. I’m devastated but the very proud daughter of an incredible man.

“He was an amazing person throughout and did so much work for charity and always wanted to make someone smile no matter how he was feeling.

“Thanks to him and my mum we had such a happy childhood and a loving, wonderful family. We are all very close and that will help us get through this.”

Roy leaves wife Denise, daughters Debbie and Karen Kirkpatrick, son John, 12 grandchildren and a great granddaughter.