Heartbroken Father Dies Two Years After Partner’s Sudden Death, Leaving Three Children Orphaned

A tragic story has unfolded in Walker, Newcastle, where 44-year-old Ronnie McGuinness passed away from a suspected cardiac arrest, just two years after the sudden death of his partner, Julieann McAllister. The couple, who had been together for 18 years, left behind three young children, Jayden (16), Ronnie-Ray (7), and True-Mary (5). Julieann’s two older children from a previous relationship are also now left without both parents.

Julieann died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve in 2021, a loss that deeply affected Ronnie. According to his devastated cousin, Debbie Bell, Ronnie never fully recovered from her passing. Debbie believes that Ronnie’s death was the result of a “broken heart,” as he struggled to cope without the love of his life.

“There was no Ron without Julieann and no Julieann without Ron. They were joined at the hip, they didn’t go anywhere without each other. They absolutely idolized each other,” Debbie told ChronicleLive. She described how Ronnie had tried to be strong for their children, but the grief had taken a toll on him. “Personally, I would say he has died of a broken heart.”

Debbie recounted how Ronnie was at home with two of his children, Ronnie-Ray and True-Mary when he fell ill last week. The children ran to a neighbor for help, and paramedics arrived to try and save him. Despite working on him for over an hour, they were unable to revive him.

“When Jayden came, we had to comfort him as he was hysterical,” Debbie said. “For well over an hour the paramedics worked on him, but they couldn’t do it anymore as he didn’t have much of a heartbeat.”

The heartbreaking moment was made even more poignant when Debbie noticed that Ronnie’s toenails had been painted pink and orange by his children. “He must have been letting the children paint his toenails. That will always stay in my mind. He would do anything with the kids,” she said.

Debbie expressed concern for the children, particularly Jayden, who is old enough to grasp the full extent of the tragedy. “I think Ronnie-Ray and True-Mary are too young to understand. I don’t think they really understand Dad’s not coming back. Jayden is a lot older, and I think it’s going to be a bit of a struggle for him. I just hope they can be as strong as they can.”

In the wake of Ronnie’s death, Debbie has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of his funeral and to support the children. So far, more than £4,175 has been donated to the online fundraiser, with the community rallying to support the grieving family.