Coleen Nolan reveals sister Linda’s final words before tragic death – and says ‘there were no tears’
COLEEN Nolan has revealed her sister Linda’s final words before her death aged 65.
Linda battled secondary breast cancer for five years and had double pneumonia at the end of her life.
Her sisters Anne, 74, Denise, 72, Maureen, 69, and Coleen, 59, were by her bedside as she was placed in end-of-life care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Coleen told the Mirror: “When I left that evening, I told her I’d come and visit the next day and she said, ‘Oh, you don’t have to’ and I said, ‘I know, but I will’ and then she said, ‘Col, I really love you’.”
She said their last day together was filled with “love and laughter”.
Coleen added: “My daughter Ciara and I sat with her and we said everything we needed to say to each other. She told us how much she loved us and we told her we loved her. I think she knew it would be the last time she’d see us, but there were no tears.”
Giving insight into Linda’s funeral plans, Coleen said her sibling had wanted mourners to wear black and mantillas – lace veils.
While they will honour her colour choice, Coleen said they won’t be wearing the veils as the surviving sisters would find it too amusing.
Linda will be laid to rest in a glittery pin coffin along with her husband Brian’s ashes.
Coleen previously called her sister a “beacon of love, kindness, and strength”.
In a heartfelt statement she told fans: “I am utterly devastated by the passing of my sister, Linda.
“Linda was a beacon of love, kindness, and strength. Her wit, humour and laughter was infectious, her presence could light up any room.
“Linda had a heart full of compassion and always knew how to bring comfort and joy to those around her.
“Her memory will live on in the many lives she touched, and while we will miss her more than words can express, we take solace in the love and warmth she shared with all of us.”
Coleen signed off, saying: “Rest in peace, Linda. You will forever be in our hearts.”
Linda’s legacy extends beyond her incredible achievements in music and entertainment.
Last month, she appeared on ITV’s Loose Women where she revealed a severe fall left her with injuries as she faced ongoing chemo.
Coleen Nolan's statement on sister Linda's death
Loose Women star Coleen Nolan shared a heartbreaking statement following the tragic news of her sister's death
Coleen said: “I am utterly devastated by the passing of my sister, Linda.
“Linda was a beacon of love, kindness, and strength. Her wit, humour and laughter was infectious, her presence could light up any room.
“Linda had a heart full of compassion and always knew how to bring comfort and joy to those around her.
“Her memory will live on in the many lives she touched, and while we will miss her more than words can express, we take solace in the love and warmth she shared with all of us.”
The star also opened up about how she had worried that her 60th birthday would be her last, but that she was “still here” five years later.
Linda was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2005 and got the all-clear the next year.
But in March 2017, she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer which was identified after it spread to her hip, following a fall.
Heartbreakingly, the 65-year-old last year revealed her cancer had spread to her brain.