Chesterfield motor enthusiast's car auctioned to raise money for hospital that cared for him in final days

Giles Fear, from Hasland, passed away following a short battle with mantle cell lymphoma on May 15 after he was diagnosed with the aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – which develops when b-cells which usually fight infection become abnormal – three months earlier.

The active and popular 51-year-old who was well known for his property maintenance work in Chesterfield leaves behind his partner of six years, Cristal Crooks, 40, two teenage twin daughters and parents Eleanor and Arnold Fear.

Cristal said: "I just miss his company, we had plans to move in together and to even have a family here if that was the way life was going to be for us.

"He was always my much better half so it is going to be a bit difficult I guess to readjust without him now.”

The keen climber and horse rider’s final wish was for his beloved 1988 Fiat Panda to be auctioned off for the Staveley and Markham wards at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, which cared for him in his final days.

A total of £750 was raised through the sale at an online car forum that Giles used to frequent and his partner has paid a visit to both the hospital wards to find out what gifts or equipment staff and patients want to spend the money on.

Eleanor and Arnold will then deliver the items at a later date to say ‘thank you’ to the healthcare staff who kindly accommodated visits from their son’s loved ones, with some travelling up from Dorset to say goodbye to him before he passed away.

Cristal who ran a small holding of 50 animals in Retford with Giles, originally met him in 2016 through their joint love of climbing and had plans to go on holidays together post pandemic.

She added: "He was very fit and active, no medical problems and he got on with anyone and everyone which kind of makes his passing even harder.

"Everybody loved Giles, he was a genuine loving guy, he was always there trying to help people.”

The kitchen and bathroom specialist was a regular feature in BMW’s Performance magazine back in 2004, regularly testing cars and taking them out on road trips with friends Rui, Ian and Damon.

Cristal has since inherited six vehicles from Giles – including a 1987 BMW 520, Fiat Punto, his old work van, a campervan and Seat Lyon.

"He absolutely collected vehicles and also because he was so talented with his hands, he could fix all these vehicles as well", she continued.

"That Fiat Panda is an original, when you look at it it doesn't look like anything as such but it was an original Fiat Panda and he absolutely loved that little car.”

A donation page has also been set up to fund two memorial benches for Giles at his favourite climbing centres in Sheffield.

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