GARY Speed’s widow has suffered fresh heartache after her new husband died of brain cancer.
Louise, 52, married property developer Quinton Bird, 53, after football manager Gary took his life 11 years ago.
FacebookLouise Speed, pictured with Quinton Bird[/caption]
Louise and Quinton married almost a year ago
PA:Press AssociationLouise was devastated after Gary Speed, pictured, took his life 11 years ago[/caption]
A family source told MailOnline that he had brain cancer for more than two years.
His dad Roy said the family were “devastated” to lose him.
He added that Quinton was a “wonderful” dad and left him and wife Jenny was left with “beautiful and extraordinary memories”.
Louise and divorced dad-of-three Quinton married just over a year ago.
They had been business partners for six years as direectors of new build and renovation firm Bow Property Development in Chester.
But he developed an aggressive form of brain tumour just six months later.
Guests at Louise and Quinton’s wedding in Cheshire included former England captain Alan Shearer, who was close friends with Gary.
The pair found love together after Louise found it difficult to get off the sofa for two years following Speed’s passing as she struggled to cope with so many unanswered questions.
Mum-of-two Louise was left heartbroken after Welsh football star Speed took his own life on November 27, 2011, aged just 42.
She previously opened up about Speed’s death, admitting the month of November is always a difficult one to get through.
Initially she felt anger towards him, and often doubts whether she can forgive Gary for taking his own life – describing the tragedy as the ‘worst nightmare possible’.
Louise said: “Have I forgiven Gary? I ask myself this often. Can I? Have I? Will I?
“I don’t know. I have witnessed the hurt he has caused to his family and friends, particularly his boys and his mum and dad and myself.
“The void he has left within us all. So I don’t know. I just don’t know if I have forgiven him yet or not. But of course I want to.
“The anger has only just subsided and that is part of it. I was angry with him for a long time but that also kept me strong, if you know what I mean? It’s when I released that anger that I felt a little bit vulnerable.”
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
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It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
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Speed and Louise were childhood sweethearts, going on their first date aged 15.
They married during his spell with Leeds before stints at Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United.
He retired with the Blades in 2010 and took over as manager before taking the reins of the Welsh national team.
Speed was still the Wales gaffer when he died aged 42.
Louise found her husband hanged in their garage on a Sunday morning, after appearing on BBC Football Focus and going out to dinner with friends the previous day.
A letter Speed wrote to his then-girlfriend Louise aged 17 expressed how he felt ”so depressed’.
He wrote: “I’m just going to go to sleep now and hope I never wake up.”