Dame Deborah James’ husband, Sebastian Bowen, has opened up about his grief, recalling his wife’s peaceful death and how proud he is of her. Bowen, father-of-two, said that Dame Deborah died peacefully after all the fighting and was surrounded with those she loved. According to The Sun, he told her that he held her hand when she died. He also reminded her how proud he is of her after all her efforts in raising awareness and funding millions for charity.
He recalled the moment she died and said, “I kissed her on her head, I told them how much I loved them, that I would take care of the children, and the last thing that I said to her was that it was so proud of me.”
He said that she then slipped away and added that it was spiritual at the end. Bowen, 42 years old, had Hugo, 14 and Eloise (12). He said he is still in total awe of his wife and all that she accomplished. When asked what he would most miss about her, he immediately replied “her magic.”
She finds joy in every moment, even in the most difficult of times.
Bowen said it was a “rare thing” and part of what made her unique.
Deborah was made a Dame in the final seven weeks of her life. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William also visited her home to accept the honor. In 2016, Dame Deborah was diagnosed as having bowel cancer. She spent the next five-and a half years encouraging everyone to check their poo for signs of the disease.
