BRITISH DAD DIES ON CYPRUS ANNIVERSARY HOLIDAY AFTER FALLING ILL ON THE DAY HE WAS DUE TO FLY HOME

A 44-year-old British father has died suddenly while celebrating his anniversary in Cyprus with his fiancée — just hours before the couple were due to return home to Wales.

Paulo Brockway, from Cardiff, had travelled to Cyprus with his fiancée, Kerry Debono, to celebrate their three-year anniversary.

What was meant to be a romantic holiday filled with memories of a future together ended in tragedy when Paulo suddenly became seriously ill on the day they were due to fly back to the UK.

He died the following day, leaving Kerry, his 12-year-old son and his wider family “completely heartbroken.”

A HOLIDAY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CELEBRATION

Paulo and Kerry had travelled from Cardiff to Cyprus in September for their anniversary.

According to Kerry, the couple had fallen deeply in love with the island and had even talked about returning there to get married.

They had reportedly placed a lock on a bridge in Cyprus as a symbol of their relationship.

Kerry later told the BBC that Paulo had said: “This is the place we need to get married.”

The couple had been enjoying their time together and were preparing to return home when Paulo suddenly fell ill.

His condition rapidly deteriorated.

PAULO BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL BEFORE THE FLIGHT HOME

On the day they were due to fly back to Cardiff, Paulo was taken to hospital after becoming seriously unwell.

According to his family, doctors initially suspected food poisoning.

Further medical assessment found that he was suffering from pancreatitis, with his pancreas reportedly no longer functioning properly.

He subsequently developed a serious infection and suffered cardiac complications.

Kerry told the BBC that doctors explained Paulo had suffered a cardiac arrest following pancreatitis, which she said had previously gone undiagnosed.

Paulo died on September 17, 2026, aged just 44.

His sudden death left his family struggling to understand how someone who had appeared to have so much ahead of him could be gone so quickly.

“He had so much to live for and he was just gone in the blink of an eye,” Kerry said.

FAMILY “COMPLETELY DEVASTATED”

Paulo leaves behind his young son, his mother, sisters, brother and fiancée.

His sister Samantha Brockway described the family as completely devastated by his death.

She said Paulo’s relationship with Kerry had brought a new happiness into his life and that the family had never seen him so happy.

The couple had been planning their wedding for the following year.

“He was a dad, a loving fiancé, a brother and a son, and he was only 44 years old,” Samantha said.

She described him as someone who had “so much life left to live” and so much to look forward to.

HIS PASSION FOR MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

In the final three years of his life, Paulo developed a passion for mountain climbing.

According to Kerry, the hobby became an important part of his life.

He climbed mountains to raise money for charity, using each challenge to help others while setting himself new personal goals.

“He always wanted to reach the next, bigger mountain,” Kerry wrote in the fundraiser created following his death.

She said climbing brought Paulo enormous happiness and gave him something to look forward to.

For those who knew him, it was one of the passions that helped define the man they remembered.

“I AM DEVASTATED AND WILL MISS HIM TERRIBLY”

Kerry has spoken publicly about the devastating loss of the man she expected to marry.

In her fundraising appeal, she wrote that Paulo had become seriously ill on the day they were supposed to fly home.

“He passed away the following day, on 17th September. He was just 44 years old,” she wrote.

“I am devastated and will miss him terribly.”

She said the couple had been celebrating their anniversary and making plans for their future only days before his death.

The suddenness of the tragedy has made the loss particularly difficult for those closest to him.

FAMILY FACES COST OF BRINGING HIM HOME

Paulo’s body was due to be repatriated from Cyprus to Cardiff so that his family could arrange his funeral.

Kerry said the couple had holiday insurance covering hospital expenses and the repatriation, but she still faced the unexpected cost of arranging Paulo’s funeral.

She launched a GoFundMe appeal with an initial target of £3,000, explaining that the funeral itself was expected to cost around £7,000.

The fundraiser had raised £2,455 from 80 donations when it was last crawled, showing the support being offered by friends, relatives and strangers.

Kerry’s appeal is not only about raising money — it is also her way of making sure Paulo can be brought home and given the farewell she believes he deserves.

A LIFE CUT SHORT

Paulo’s family say he had been looking forward to the future.

He had a fiancée he loved, a son he was devoted to, a passion for the outdoors and plans for marriage.

Instead, a holiday that was supposed to mark three years of love ended with his sudden death thousands of miles from home.

Kerry said she would carry the memories of their relationship with her.

“I will love and miss you forever, Paulo,” she wrote.

For a family that travelled to Cyprus to celebrate a future together, they are now waiting to bring Paulo home and say goodbye to a man they say still had so much life ahead of him.