Anna Richardson's dad dead at 85
Anna Richardson's dad, Canon Jim Richardson, lost his battle with vascular dementia on June 25.
Anna Richardson's dad has died at the age of 85.
Retired priest, Canon Jim Richardson, lost his battle with vascular dementia - a decline in thinking skills caused by reduced blood flow to the brain - on June 25, which Anna, 55, announced on Instagram on Monday (29.06.26).
The Naked Attraction star explained Jim spent the final two weeks of life hospitalised with "heart failure, pneumonia, and a collapsed lung", and added that "his will to live was astonishing".
Anna continued: "I fed him grapes and tinned peaches, and convinced myself that if I could just get him out of bed then we might steal another few weeks together.
"When it became clear his heart was too weak, my brother and I moved into his room and set up camp either side of him - like two gargoyles guarding the entrance of a church. One generation accompanying another into the next world."
She added: "He took his last breath on June 25th - my mother’s Birthday. How strange that he held on."
Anna, who starred with Jim in the 2024 Channel 4 documentary Love, Loss and Dementia, then detailed the "extraordinary life" he led.
The writer said: "A working class lad from south east London, who knew he had a calling.
"He travelled the world, worked closely with every faith, met the Pope, received his OBE from Queen Elizabeth, all while ministering to his congregation in the Church of England.
"His last great adventure was making the Love, Loss and Dementia documentary with me for Channel 4."
Anna noted that her "fun-loving, private, difficult, thoughtful, and oh-so complex" dad "didn’t want to go just yet", but he "believed he was going to the company of Angels".
She added: "I hope so very much that he’s right. God bless, Dad."
At the start of her caption, which accompanied shots of her and Jim over the years, as well as a picture of him in hospital, Anna told how "death is strange".
She explained: "We spend our lives trying not to talk about it, until one day, it’s the only thing in the room.
"We burst into this world fighting for breath, and so often we leave it in exactly the same way. It’s messy, physical, and at times, totally undignified.
"Just like birth."
Anna's ex-partner, comedienne Sue Perkins, 56, paid her respects to Jim in the post's comments section.
She penned: "God bless Jiminy. May he be sat at the top table on high eating crusty bread and butter followed by endless dessert."
Meanwhile, Loose Women host Ruth Langsford, 66, typed: "I’m so very sorry Anna.
"Grief is the price we pay for love and you clearly loved your Dad so much. The documentary you made with him about Alzheimer’s was so very moving and powerful.
"Sending you and your family love."
And Coronation Street's Catherine Tyldesley, 42, wrote: "I’m so sorry darling sending so much love xxx (sic)"
