Tributes to St Leonards father, 45, following sudden death at home

Mark Cheney, of Sandwich Drive, passed away last Tuesday (October 24), aged 45, his family said.

His aunt, Mary Coburn, said Mark, who lived with his partner Charlie, his young son Freddie and his stepchildren George and Emily, had been having stomach pains and visited hospital on Tuesday morning.

She added the hospital carried out blood tests and basic heart checks but did not find anything wrong and he was sent home, suggesting it was gallstones.

Mary said: “Later that day Charlie and his little boy Freddie came home to find him on the floor but despite all the efforts of the paramedics Mark could not be revived.

“Mark was my godson and nephew and the son of my younger sister Pat Harris, who lives in Selsdon, Surrey. I have five sisters and lots of nephews and nieces, we are all a very close family and Mark’s death has devastated us all.

“Too young to leave this world, Mark was a very private but practical person. He had a dry sense of humour and cared about all of his family, nephews and nieces and their young babies.

“A very good looking lad, I used to joke that his mum had had an affair with Elvis Presley. He was very close to his eldest son Alfie, who lives with his mum Kim, Mark’s previous partner.

“Alfie started working with his dad when he left school and they both often worked with Mark’s elder brother Lee Cheney. He loved cooking and had a rivalry with his stepdad Keith, who sadly died four years ago, on who had the best recipe and wines.

“Recently Mark and Alfie were working in a building in Edenbridge, decorating the interior. Mark was painting the window when he heard a persistent sound of a lorry reversing.

“On looking out of the window he saw a lorry with the driver’s door open and no driver in the cab, the lorry was reversing down the hill pushing a car with a lady, her daughter and mother inside backwards.

“Mark immediately rushed out of the building and jumped into the cab of the truck. He was not familiar with the controls of a lorry but pulled on what he thought was the hand brake and brought the lorry to a stop. Had the lorry continued to run away there could have been injuries or fatalities to the occupants of the car and anyone else in the way when it finally crashed to a stop.

“All of our family are devastated at Mark’s untimely death but as his eldest aunt I feel we owe it to him to let it be known to the people of Hastings that they had a hero in their midst. Mark would never have looked for recognition for what he did, he saw what was happening and took the action he saw was needed.”