Joey Blower shares details of son's tragic death in Thailand and will hold 'celebration of life' memorial at Viva Blackpool

Joey told Blackpool Gazette that the family has been ‘overwhelmed with compassion and support’ since he shared the heartbreaking news on his Facebook page last Monday (June 12).

The 60-year-old comedian took an 800 mile round trip on Sunday to lay his eldest child, James Michael Simmons, to rest in a Buddhist temple, in si as ket.

Dad said: ‘I didn’t know how popular he’d become in Thailand’

The funeral was live-streamed to hundreds of viewers online, with the temple filled with James’s ex - pat friends, and members of the Thai community where he lived, in Pattaya.

Joey said: “Even I didn’t know how popular he’d become in Thailand, despite visiting him every year for the last 6 years. [It was the] one place he felt happy and called home, which is why we honoured his wishes to remain there."

He died from sepsis and a ruptured spleen

On June 12, Joey had received a call at 7.30am to say 39-year-old James was unconscious. Phone records showed his last messages were to his apartment reception asking for an ambulance and quickly.

At 10.30, he was pronounced dead.

Post mortem results later revealed the cause of death was sepsis and a ruptured spleen. He’d recently had medical treatment for a cyst.

Posting on Facebook, Joey said: “We now have peace knowing it wasn’t anything he did, or was pushed to do, but we still grieve like only a few who’ve ever experienced losing a child will comprehend.

We always worried one day he would come of his motorbike, or a host of other things but he’s now at peace.”

Celebration of life

James’ friends, family and acquaintances in the resort are invited to join in a celebration of life at Viva Blackpool on Sunday 9th of July.

The event, from 12-4pm, will be an ‘honest eulogy’, showing snippets of James’s life.

The invitation is ‘open to anyone who knew James, had heard of James or just wants to support the family’.

“The family have been overwhelmed with the compassion and support shown to them over James and look forward to welcoming them at viva.”