EastEnders star Timothy West’s tragic cause of death confirmed after dying aged 90
EastEnders actor Timothy West died 'peacefully' at a care home he was living in after he fell at home and couldn't support himself
Timothy West died aged 90 in November last year(Image: Getty Images)
Timothy West died “peacefully with his family around him” at a care home offering palliative care following a three-month hospital stint due to a fall, an inquest has been told. The acclaimed actor from EastEnders and Coronation Street died aged 90 on November 12 last year. Grief-stricken, Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West, his children, shared that he slipped away “peacefully in his sleep”.
An inquest was promptly initiated to unravel the circumstances surrounding Timothy’s demise after a care home nurse discovered him. He had taken residence at Wandsworth Common Care Home – Avery Collection prior to the incident.
Assistant Coroner Jean Harkin instigated an inquiry at Westminster Coroner’s Court shortly after Timothy’s passing. She recorded: “The deceased was identified as Timothy West, a British citizen, aged 90 years, born on October 20, 1934, in Bradford. He was an actor, husband of Prunella West.”
Timothy West’s cause of death has been confirmed after an inquest(Image: PA)
Today, Assistant coroner Ellie Oakley shed light on the case stating: “Timothy West had an unwitnessed fall near his home on 11 August 2024 which resulted in a significant traumatic brain injury,” reports the Mirror.
She clarified: “It is not possible to determine how the fall happened and there is no evidence of others being involved.”
Oakley added: “He was treated in hospital for around three months before being discharged to a care home on 5 November 2024 for palliative care.”
Regrettably, she concluded: “Unfortunately he was not well enough to be discharged to his home despite receiving appropriate care in the care home. He died on 12 November 2024.”
The care home’s general manager, Thomas Holden, shared in a statement during Thursday’s inquest: “On 12 November his family were with him all day.
“They continued to stay with him in his room during the evening and he passed away peacefully with his family around him at 19:20.”
Prunella Scales is said to be too unwell to understand her husband Timothy has died(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The inquest was initially postponed in November and was scheduled for February this year. Timothy’s agent released a statement on behalf of his children, stating: “After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening. He was 90 years old.
“Tim was with friends and family at the end. He leaves his wife, Prunella Scales, to whom he was married for 61 years, a sister, a daughter, two sons, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. All of us will miss him terribly. We would like to thank the incredible NHS staff at St George’s Hospital, Tooting and at Avery Wandsworth for their loving care during his last days.”
EastEnders also issued a heartfelt statement, expressing: “We are extremely saddened to hear that Timothy West has passed away. Timothy joined EastEnders as Stan and his presence as the patriarch of the Carter family was immediately felt. He will forever be in our hearts. We send all our love and thoughts to Timothy’s family and friends.”
After the sad passing of Timothy, his son Samuel revealed that Prunella was “not well enough” to grasp the fact that her husband had passed away. Speaking to The Sunday Times, he shared: “All I am going to say is she’s not really well enough to take it all in.”
In the months leading up to his death, Timothy opened up about his home life and the challenges of caring for his wife, Prunella, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2015. He first noticed something was amiss in 2001 when he attended one of her theatre performances.
Despite the show running smoothly, Timothy recalled Prunella being “a bit strange” and “not totally with it.”
In a heartfelt chat with BBC Breakfast in 2023, he admitted the situation “isn’t going to get better”.
Reflecting on their time together, Prunella, now aged 92, commented: “No, he is the person I love and I enjoy being with…” Timothy then added: “That is about it I think!” He also recounted the early signs of Prunella’s condition, saying: “I came to see a play that Pru was doing in Greenwich.
“I went to see the first night and it was good, much enjoyed by the audience and then I went to see it again and I thought ‘She’s not totally with it’. We went to see a specialist and he said I am sorry this is just something that happens to you when you get older. It is not going to get any easier, but we cope with it and we manage.”
