Man who lost wife of 35 years makes heartbreaking plea for friends

A man who lost his wife of 35 years earlier this year has displayed a poster pleading for a friend because he's "cursed" by loneliness.

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.

The retired physicist has no children or family nearby and said he sits at home willing the phone to ring, "but it never does".

As a result, he's taken to displaying a heartbreaking poster in the window of his home in Alton, UK, pleading for friends and describing his loneliness as "unbearable torture".

"I have lost Jo, my lovely wife and soulmate," the sign reads.

"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?"

The heartbreaking display has captured the attention of local media, who spoke to the lonely widower about his quest to make a friend.

"It's my last resort. I've tried everything to make friends, but it feels like nobody wants to talk to me," Williams said.

"Not very many people pass my house, but I was hoping it would spread around the community, and someone might reach out."

As well as the poster, Williams has put two adverts in his local paper, costing £120 ($230) 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," Williams said.

"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.

"I spend most days just sat in the house in silence, just waiting for the phone to ring … but it never does."

Williams met Jo, a former legal secretary, in a bar 35 years ago and the couple enjoyed a "perfect" marriage, but were 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 with pancreatic cancer and died just nine days after the diagnosis.

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

Reaction to Williams' plight has been huge in the UK, 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".