Lonely man’s heartbreaking plea for someone to share Xmas dinner with after wife’s death

After losing his wife of 35-years, Tony Williams issued an appeal to find a mate – but three months on, he’s now terrified of spending Xmas alone.

An elderly man who displayed a poster pleading for a friend after the sudden death of his wife has launched another heartbreaking appeal – this time looking for someone to eat Christmas dinner with.

Tony Williams, 75, lost his wife Jo from pancreatic cancer in May. The 75-year-old was diagnosed just nine days before her death, leaving Tony alone after 35-years of marriage.

Fearful of spending his first Christmas alone, Tony has started placing cards around the UK town where he lives promising his would-be companion a “sumptuous feast, fine wines and good conversation”.

The card, which is in the design of a table setting and reads “alone at Christmas”, has been distributed all over Alton, England in the hopes – but so far Tony has yet to find someone to share his festive feast with.

“I can’t face being on my own at this time of year,” he said.

“I have had responses, but one was a vegetarian and another had no interests that I share.”

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Tony Williams is terrified of spending Christmas alone this year after losing his wife to pancreatic cancer. Picture: Solent/Australscope

Tony will be serving a traditional meal of turkey along with a matching tipple, admitting he’s a bit of a “wine connoisseur”.

Though he has two brothers and a sister, none live nearby and, being vulnerable to the virus because of his age he’s reluctant to spend Christmas in the homes of siblings who would also be hosting their children and grandchildren.

“The top priority is safety. My sister Tessa, who lives in Suffolk, said ‘you are coming here for Christmas’, but she has two grown up children and several grandchildren,” he said.

“We both recognised that was a big restraint, and that’s when I came up with the plan to put the cards up.”

His quest to find a dinner guest comes just three months after Tony began a desperate search for a friend after being “cursed” by loneliness following his wife’s death.

The retired physicist has no children and since losing Jo said he sits at home willing the phone to ring “but it never does”.

His plea was a roaring success with his email inbox being flooded with offers, but sadly – none lived nearby.

“I have lost Jo, my lovely wife and soulmate,” the sign read.

“I have no friends or family, no one to talk to.

“I find the unremitting silence 24 hours a day unbearable torture.

“Can no one help me?”

He has placed cards around the area he lives hoping to find someone to share a Christmas meal with. Picture: Solent/Australscope

As well as the poster, Tony put two adverts in his local paper, costing £120 ($AU211) but had no responses.

“Jo was my best friend and we had a lovely life. But now I’m all by myself. My wonderful wife has just died, and I have nobody,” Tony explained at the time.

“All I want is for somebody to see the sign and phone me up. I just want a nice conversation so I’m not sat in silence all day long.

“I’m not looking for someone to listen to me cry – I just want a normal person who I can chat to. I can talk to anybody about anything.”

Tony met Jo, a former legal secretary, in a bar 35 years ago and enjoyed a “perfect” marriage – but were sadly unable to have children. They lived together in Kempley for 25 years before recently moving to their current home last year to be closer to Jo’s sister.

Shortly after they moved, Jo fell ill and lost her short battle to pancreatic cancer.

“Our relationship was always so natural. We had no secrets and we could be totally open with each other – we really were soulmates,” Tony said.

“Sometimes we’d spend hours cooking, laughing and listening to music together – it was the highlight of our day.

“Now I’m here, completely alone, in the house where my lovely wife spent her dying days.

“Every time I walk in the room, the first thing I do is look at her photograph.”

Tony was married to his wife Jo for 35-years before her sudden death earlier this year. Picture: Solent/Australscope

Reaction to Tony’s plight reached people around the world, with hundreds of people offering to become his friend or penpal.

“I’d love to chat to him on the phone! No one should be alone and I applaud this gentleman for doing something positive about it,” one woman wrote on Facebook.

“Not sure where you are Tony but really hope you find some company,” another said.

“This is so terribly heartbreaking. Surely someone will react to the ad. The poor gentleman just wants someone to talk to,” one added.

Many others described the situation as “heartbreaking”.

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