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MISSED: John Chandler

WORCESTER'S first heart transplant patient has died 21 years after he received the donor organ.

John Chandler was thrown a lifeline in 1987 when he was given the heart of a young woman during a three-hour operation.

He died on Sunday, aged 68, after a long illness. Ironically his donor heart was his last organ to fail.

His daughter Julie Chandler said: "He was devoted, always there and incredibly supportive.

"I could go and ask him anything, he was great fun."

Mr Chandler, of Penhill Crescent, St John's, Worcester, was born in Bristol and later moved to Worcester where he became head boy at St Martin's School.

He worked as a carpenter at Rackshaws in Castle Street before moving to Buyrights in Broad Street, where he sold groceries.

After living in Northamp-ton and working in the restaurant business with his wife Christine the couple moved back to the Worcester and Mr Chandler started working for Tesco, where he remained as an executive until he retired in 1995.

His 67-year-old wife said: "He loved retirement but he also loved his work.

"Then he was ill most of the time and things started to take their toll. He was in hospital for six months last year and three months this year."

Mr Chandler was well-known, not just for his heart transplant. In 1976, his eight-year-old son Mark was left paralysed and unable to speak after suffering a heart attack on his way to school.

The Mark Chandler Appeal Fund was set up by Mr Chandler and Brian Higgins, who worked tirelessly to raise money for the boy to have treatment in an American clinic for brain damaged children.

Mark died on October 6, 1979, but the fund lived on in his memory.

Mr Chandler raised more than £100,000 to help other disabled children and to buy hospital equipment until the fund was closed in 2000.

Mrs Chandler said: "He loved his whole family and he wanted to keep going as long as he could.

"He will carry on in his grandchildren."

Mr Chandler also leaves two grand-daughters, Hayley and Hannah Giles, aged 11 and eight.

Mr Chandler's funeral will be on Tuesday, May 13, at Worcester Crematorium at 1.30pm.

Donations can be made to the Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, where Mr Chandler had his heart transplant.

9:12am Friday 9th May 2008

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