Patti Newton has taken to social media for the first time since losing her beloved husband Bert Newton, who died on October 30 after months of ill health.
The 76-year-old widow said her goodbyes to her husband of almost 47 years in a state funeral earlier this month, but took to Instagram on Sunday to speak candidly about her heartache since losing him.
Patti paid tribute to her beloved husband by sharing a photo from their wedding day, the snap showing them gazing lovingly at one another.
“My darling Alb I will miss you forever. My heart is broken,” she penned in the caption.
The sad news of Bert’s passing rocked the nation and left a sizable dent in the Newton family after it was confirmed on October 30, following months of ill health for the 83-year-old.
The beloved star had his leg amputated earlier this year following complications from an infected toe, where Patti later revealed that it was a difficult road to recovery for Bert.
“When you have a leg amputated, you have to be on a lot of painkillers, and Bert had had, just this year alone, he’s had eight procedures, which all involved anaesthetics, and that affects you pretty badly,” she previously told Daily Mail Australia.
Addressing Bert’s cause of death, Patti said: “Your whole system and just everything closes down really. That was all.”
Bert was honoured with a state funeral earlier this month, where Patti was joined by her six grandchildren, her daughter Lauren, her son-in-law Matt Welsh, and friends of Bert to farewell the star.
The ceremony was fitting for a man of Bert’s magnitude, with tributes flowing from his family and close friends as they remembered the impact he left behind.
While Patti herself didn’t speak during the ceremony, she did plan the service for her late husband, and spoke of her loss to reporters outside of the family home the day after Bert’s passing.
“It’s very, very devastating. All our hearts are breaking because he was just the most wonderful man,” she said.
Patti also spoke of her husband to the Herald Sun days before the funeral, where she said he lived to be loved and would be stunned by the outpouring of grief and affection over his passing.
“He would be overwhelmed by the response,” Patti told the publication. “I’m overwhelmed by it, because I find myself thinking: I hope I appreciated him enough. I hope I told him how fabulous he was.”
She added: “Bert wanted to be loved and he never thought he was. He wanted more than anything in the world to be loved.
“He always said, ‘Do you love me?’ I’d say, ‘Don’t be stupid, of course I love you.’ Nothing was enough. It had to be more.”
“I hope I told him how fabulous he was.” Patti and Bert in their younger years.
(Getty)Patti also spoke of how she and the rest of Bert’s family want him remembered as a “wonderful, loving fun man who lived with us at home.”
Son Matthew Newton also paid tribute to his parents’ beautiful relationship in a moving message he sent to be read at the funeral, which he was unable to attend.
“There is no lioness in the world who loved supported and cherished her lion as much as you did dad,” he wrote to his greiving mother.
“You two were a team, are team and even though your partner is not on stage anymore, the show goes on and you will be okay.”
This article was originaly published on our sister site, New Idea.
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