A COUPLE who ran a café in Rhyl town centre have died within two days of one another.

Jeff and Christine Boughey – known to all her friends as Chris – were the owners of Jay’s Cafe on Market Street for 34 years.

Jeff, 62, had been caring for Christine, 67, as she battled cancer for seven months before she was admitted to St Kentigern Hospice in St Asaph. She died there on Friday, July 20.

While Christine was in the hospice, Jeff was diagnosed with tonsillitis, which led to sepsis.

He was admitted to Glan Clwyd Hospital on Tuesday, July 10 where he was placed on life support.

He died on Sunday, July 22, unaware that his wife had already passed away.

Tracy Allsop, Jeff’s sister, said: “It's a love story. They were meant to be together.

“You wouldn’t believe it, even if it were written in a soap opera. You wouldn’t think this could happen.”

The couple met in 1977 in Manchester and moved to Rhyl two years later. They, were married at Rhyl Register Office on December 29, 1986 and had two sons: Lee 38 and Gareth, 34, who is captain of the Prestatyn Cricket Club first XI.

Tracy added: “Since they met, they’ve never not been together.

"They worked in a factory in Manchester together, moved to Rhyl together, set up a business together and worked together every day.

“Normally when somebody dies, there’s always a big question as to why this happened.

"Yes, this is a tragedy, but it’s very romantic and in the end I think it brings great comfort to the boys that they are together again now.”

While both very private people who doted on their children and grandchildren – Nikita, Gareth, Zahra, Danika and Dominic – both were known in many of the pubs in Rhyl for their involvement on darts teams and enthusiasm for quizzes, Tracy added.

She said: “They were a normal couple who put their family first.

“When Christine had to stop working in the café a few years ago due to ill health, she enjoyed being a 'homebird' and was very close to the grandkids.

"Her family meant everything to her.”

“Jeff was never well known in Rhyl either. He was a very private man.

“He was never even really known as Jeff in the town. He used to help customers when they because too ill or frail by bringing them meals and Sunday dinner, so everybody just knew him as ‘the man from Jay’s'.

“He loved watching his cricket and darts and was very close to his grandkids. Just give him a pint and he was happy."

A joint funeral for Jeff and Chris will be held at St Thomas' Church, Rhyl on Wednesday, August 8 at noon.

Sons Gareth and Lee say they would like to invite friends, colleagues and customers past and present to join them and remember their parents.