Sunny Ozell, the widow of Sir Patrick Stewart, has spoken publicly for the first time since the actor's death at the age of 86, saying the couple left "nothing unsaid" before he passed away following a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease.
The Star Trek and X-Men star, who was born in Huddersfield, died at his Los Angeles home with his wife by his side. In a social media post marking two weeks since his death, the 47-year-old musician shared a black-and-white photograph of the couple with their arms wrapped around each other.
Grief and gratitude
In the Instagram post, Ozell wrote: "Today marks two weeks since Patrick passed, and the grief continues to come in waves. But I've also been experiencing such deep, profound gratitude."
She added: "We left nothing unsaid. He knew I loved him, and I know he loved me. Patrick and I truly, authentically saw one another, and we amplified each other's best qualities."
Reflecting on their time together, she continued: "We shared nearly two decades together, and we filled those years with so much *living*. I've been overwhelmed by the public response to Patrick's death, and while I'm not at all surprised that he touched so many, I'm sincerely moved by the outpouring of sadness and loss."
Public response
The post has attracted more than 41,000 likes, with followers sharing their condolences. One wrote: "I listened to his autobiography on Audible a couple of years ago. When he got to the part of the story about you, his entire tone changed. You could hear him smile. I am so sorry for your immense loss."
Another said: "So many of us out here never met him, yet mourn that he is no longer here. I can't begin to imagine your loss...but how blessed we all are, in our big or small ways, to have felt his influence. Sending love to you." A third simply said: "We love you."
Tributes from friends
Sir Patrick's death was confirmed by his long-standing spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, who said: "He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace."
His close friend Sir Ian McKellen paid tribute, praising him for being "defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire". McKellen said: "You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt." He recalled an instance where Patrick questioned whether he wished to "risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years", adding: "Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences."
Sir Patrick is survived by his widow, Sunny, and his two children, Daniel and Sophie Stewart, from his first marriage to Sheila Falconer.
