Rob Rinder has announced that his father, David Rinder, has died at the age of 73 after living with Lewy body dementia. The author, TV judge and criminal barrister shared the news on Instagram, describing the illness as 'poorly understood' and 'desperately under-researched'.
Father's life and career
David Rinder worked as a London black cab driver for more than 40 years. Rob noted that his father was a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter and attended every football match of his brothers and grandsons.
Writing on Instagram, Rob said: 'My dad died yesterday aged 73. I wasn't sure whether to share this but if it brings attention to an illness too few people understand, perhaps it belongs here.'
Personal reflections
Rob, who is also known for presenting documentaries on the Holocaust and co-hosting travel shows with Rylan Clark, said his parents divorced when he was young so he did not grow up with his dad at home. 'We were very different men. I loved opera and all its drama; he loved Tottenham and cigarettes. We both took people as we found them and we both loved women, though in rather different ways.'
He added: 'I never once doubted his pride in me. When I came out he responded with magnificent indifference: I was still his son, there was nothing else to discuss.'
Final years and care
In the last years of his life, David was cared for at Jewish Care. Rob wrote: 'Walid and Tosin, among so many others there, cared for him and came to kiss him goodbye. A Jewish man, held in his final days by people of different faiths: a quiet reminder that what is sacred in us is also what we share. He died with his family around him loved and held to the last.'
Call for awareness
Rob, who has been a vocal patron and advocate for the Lewy Body Society, highlighted the prevalence of the condition. 'At least one in ten people living with dementia has Lewy body's, around 125,000 people in the UK yet it remains poorly understood, frequently missed & desperately under-researched. Please learn its name, learn its signs and if you can support the work to change that.'
