The Tragic Final Hours of Snooker Legend John Virgo
Snooker icon and beloved television presenter John Virgo has died suddenly at the age of 79 in Spain, just hours after waking his wife in the middle of the night complaining of severe pain. The sports legend passed away in a Costa del Sol hospital on Wednesday morning after suffering a catastrophic ruptured aorta.
A Sudden and Unexpected Health Emergency
According to close friend James Malyon, who rushed to Xanit Hospital in Benalmadena after receiving an urgent call from Virgo's wife, the snooker star's final hours unfolded with shocking speed. "He passed away around 5.30am today," Mr Malyon revealed. "He woke Rosie up in pain and discomfort around 2.30 this morning and she called an ambulance. He was taken to hospital where around three hours later he passed away."
The medical cause was confirmed as a ruptured aorta, the main artery running through the body. Doctors explained that this type of catastrophic event can occur without warning, even in otherwise healthy individuals. "According to the doctor there's nothing medical that causes it, it can just happen, which is a bit scary," Mr Malyon said. "He said that with a rupture like that if it had happened to a fit 30-year-old man it would almost certainly have been the same outcome."
A Normal Day Before Tragedy Struck
What makes the sudden loss particularly devastating for friends and family is that Virgo had been in good spirits and health in the days leading up to his death. The snooker legend had been living full-time in Mijas near Fuengirola since just before the COVID-19 pandemic and had been enjoying an active retirement.
"John had been okay," Mr Malyon explained. "A group of us went out for a drink in December when Dennis Taylor was over and he was in good form. He had gone back to the UK a few weeks ago commentating for the Masters in Alexandra Palace, then he came back to Spain for the weekend."
Virgo had returned to the Costa del Sol on Friday and had spoken with Mr Malyon just yesterday afternoon around 2.30pm. "John and Rosie had just got back from the Miramar Shopping Centre in Fuengirola and had been doing the normal everyday things," his friend recalled. "He was right as rain."
Plans for Celebrations That Will Never Happen
The timing of Virgo's death adds particular poignancy to the tragedy. The snooker legend would have celebrated his 16th wedding anniversary with wife Rosie Ries on February 9, followed by his 80th birthday on March 4.
"It would have been their 16th wedding on February 9 and it would have been his 80th birthday on March 4," Mr Malyon said. "Rosie's obviously very gutted. They had plans to go for dinner together on the 9th and were planning a trip together to Madrid for a lovely weekend to celebrate his 80th but now obviously that's not going to happen."
A Life Well Lived in Spain
Virgo had moved to Spain around the COVID era, spending much of the lockdown period in Fuengirola while renovation work was completed on their villa. While reports had suggested health reasons for the move, specifically a long-standing neck problem that affected his golf swing, friends confirm this was unrelated to his sudden passing.
"The reports about him coming to Spain for health reasons are true," Mr Malyon acknowledged. "He's had a long-standing neck problem which meant his golf swing was not as fluid as before and one of the reasons for coming here would have been for the better climate. But what happened in the early hours of this morning had nothing to do with his neck problem."
Medical Details and Funeral Arrangements
Doctors at the hospital confirmed that Virgo's death resulted from the ruptured aorta rather than any underlying health conditions. "To the best of my knowledge John didn't have high blood pressure," Mr Malyon noted. "He did smoke. But the doctors at the hospital made no mention of underlying health issues that were related to his death."
Another close friend based on the Costa del Sol revealed that an autopsy is unlikely to be necessary given the clear cause of death. Funeral arrangements will be coordinated with Virgo's children and friends in the UK, with services expected both in Spain and back in Britain.
"Funeral arrangements will be made following liaison with his children and friends in the UK," the friend explained. "I think there will be a service somewhere in Spain but nothing's been finalised yet, although I imagine there will be a service here and then some sort of memorial service back in the UK."
A Beloved Figure Remembered
Local business owner Nick Griffin of Christy's Irish Gastropub & Sports Lounge in Fuengirola, where Virgo was a regular visitor, paid tribute to the snooker legend's down-to-earth nature. "John was a lovely normal guy, no airs and graces, from Salford which is a down-to-earth place and he was really down to earth," Mr Griffin said.
"He came in about four or five times a year, always in the afternoons, and he'd have half a pint of Guinness. That was his drink. He was last in just over a month ago and he looked in good form. He was snooker-crazy, he was always talking about snooker and the old days and Alex Higgins and everything else."
Mr Malyon, who met Virgo through golf after the snooker star moved to Spain around 2019, remembered his friend as "the life and soul, with some great stories and jokes, just a great guy to be around." The sudden nature of his passing has left the community in shock, with friends and fans mourning the loss of one of snooker's most recognizable and beloved figures.
