Tragedy as Wigan borough grandad dies months after moving to Portugal for retirement

Tributes have been paid to a grandad who died just months after moving to Portugal to begin his retirement.
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Neil Eckersley, 61, relocated in August after working as a plasterer for more than 25 years, including alongside family members at Leigh-based Mican Plastering.

He liked the climate, sun-bathing and the “laidback lifestyle” there, according to his son Nick Eckersley.

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Neil Eckersley died a few months after moving to PortugalNeil Eckersley died a few months after moving to Portugal
Neil Eckersley died a few months after moving to Portugal
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But Mr Eckersley was reported missing on January 19 and Portuguese police started to look for him, using sniffer dogs as part of the search.

Appeals were also posted on social media, including on a Facebook group for British ex-pats in Portugal.

An inquest, which was opened at Bolton Coroner’s Court this week, heard his body was found about a mile away from his home on February 9.

Dental records were used to identify him and a post-mortem examination was carried out at Salford Royal Hospital, once his body had been repatriated, but the cause of his death was “unascertained”.

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A full inquest is scheduled to be held at the same court on August 1.

His son Nick said: “The family really don’t know anything about what happened. Communication with the Portuguese police has been difficult. We still, as of yet, don’t know where, when or how it happened.”

Mr Eckersley grew up in Leigh and lived in Astley until moving to Portugal.

He was previously married to Sally Eckersley for 30 years and they had two sons and a grandson.

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Nick said: “He was a very comedic person, he liked telling jokes, but he was also very reserved and liked his own privacy.

"He absolutely loved animals and growing up we had two springer spaniels that he absolutely adored. They were everything to him. If we were at family gatherings, he would always make an excuse to go so he could spend more time with the dogs.

"His funeral was a small service surrounded by close friends and family. We wanted to honour the three things he loved most in his life – his love of animals, he was obsessed with Pink Floyd and he supported Manchester City. There was a lot of blue in the funeral, despite both of his sons being Manchester United fans.”

Mr Eckersley’s body was cremated and his family hopes to scatter some of the ashes in his favourite places – the Norfolk Broads, Porthmadog, where he spent family holidays as a child, and the nearby cricket club where he met friends.

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Fond memories of Mr Eckersley are now being shared on a Facebook page set up by his family.

Nick said: “We decided to make a tribute page on Facebook just as an avenue where people can go and share their memories and photographs.

"The funeral we had was quite private, so some people weren’t able to attend.

“If anyone would like to pay their respects or write a tribute, please contact any of his close family members of close friends and they will be able to get in touch with us and we can invite them to the group.”

The memorial page can be found at www.facebook.com/groups/559564929649563