“DAD brought us up to be resilient and get on with things,” remembers Amanda Brandwood.

“The best respect we can give our family is by picking ourselves up and making the best of whatever opportunity comes our way.”

Amanda’s father Fred Boswell died in March but just days after the family suffered a second blow when his ex-wife and mother-of-four Anne died suddenly.

More than 200 people turned out for Fred’s funeral after the ‘larger than life’ character died aged 59 after being electrocuted trying to fix a washing machine.

Fred, of Birch Grove, Latchford, enjoyed what his family of six children, two grandchildren and partner Nina called their ‘jolly boys’ outings, often donning matching Hawaiian shirts for days out.

A regular at the Marquis of Granby, the family held a celebration of his life there.

“He was always smiling and we can’t go anywhere without someone knowing him,” she added.

On February 9, Fred, who was a partner at Allmec Engineering, tried to fix a washing machine.

Amanda said: “He’s a machine fitter by trade, stripping a washing machine and fixing it would be nothing for him.”

But the family think he put his hand into the machine while switched on and a spark jumped, electrocuting him.

“Complacency sets in when you’ve been doing it for years. Lots of people we have spoken to said they have done that,” Amanda added.

After the accident it took paramedics more than 30 minutes to maintain a steady heartbeat and Fred was taken to the intensive care unit at Warrington Hospital.

After eight days in the unit the family were told there would probably be no response. The following day he woke up only to suffer from septicaemia.

Again the family were told he might not pull through yet he fought off the infection.

He was then diagnosed with another infection that proved too much and he died on March 30.

Four days later, ex-wife Anne, aged 54, died of natural causes.

Son Sean said: “I saw her on the Thursday evening and she seemed all right then. She went to sleep in the chair and did not wake up.”

He described Anne, of Manley Gardens, Whitecross, as a real homemaker and a whizz at quizzes and very creative.