Man dies soon after winning billions in lottery,wife remarries

It’s most people’s dream to win the lottery. To wake up every day knowing you have financial security – and getting the chance to splash the cash on a few luxury items.

But just three months after winning over one million pounds, Tina Halford, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, didn’t care one bit about her fortune. "It meant nothing," she admits. Her husband of 30 years, Colin, had just passed away, and no amount of money could bring him back.

Back in October 2008, Tina and Colin had stopped in their local shop to check a lottery ticket they’d been holding onto for a week. They were amazed when they were told to contact Camelot because they’d matched six balls. "We joked that it could be a big win, but we never dreamed it would be," Tina says. "We were just regular people – that sort of thing didn’t happen to couples like us."

A few days later, they found out they’d won a life-changing £1,134,695 (Sh.161,140,038.29)– a huge amount. In a whirl of media attention, Tina and Colin were photographed toasting their win with Champagne and holding a giant cheque. They vowed that the money wouldn’t change them, and, unlike so many other lottery winners, they kept to their word.

"We’d always worked hard and had been very careful with money," Tina explains. "We were very down to earth people. Colin was a retired miner and I’d been a cleaner. We weren’t the kind of folks who were suddenly going to act flashy."

Their son Mark, now 29, was a jockey and insisted on continuing to pay his own way. Daughter Leanne, now 31, was thrilled for her parents, but made no demands on their money. They were just not that kind of family.

Tina and Colin wanted to invest the cash wisely for their future and tentatively talked about taking a holiday. But luck was no longer on their side. Seven weeks after the win, Colin

was taken ill with a rare blood disorder and never recovered. In January 2009, he died.

"I was absolutely distraught," Tina recalls. "We’d been married for 30 years, and the moment we struck lucky, Colin was taken from me."

It was a very difficult time for Tina and the win was pushed to the back of her mind. The money meant nothing as she planned a funeral and faced life without Colin. When she finally felt strong enough to think about their plans for the cash, it was suddenly a daunting responsibility.

"Colin and I had always made all our decisions together," Tina says. "Suddenly I had more money than I could even imagine, and it was down to me to decide what to do with it."

Along with the help of her family and support from the National Lottery, Tina made some investments in property. At one point she did treat herself to a Range Rover Evoke, but she quickly took it back because she felt too guilty about spending so much, and replaced it with an Astra.

"My one extravagance was a Caribbean cruise, which I went on with a friend,’ she says. ‘It was amazing, but Colin was never far from my thoughts. I was sad that he wasn’t there to share our luck."

Over the years, Tina, now 54, kept the same circle of friends and because they were just like her, they didn’t treat her any differently. She did make friends with a few lottery winners, whom she met at events, but Tina stayed grounded. She even remained in the three-bed semi she’d shared with Colin.

The money meant Tina didn’t have to worry about her finances anymore, but she was fearful of moving on and starting to date again – in case potential partners were only attracted to her because of her win.

"One night back in 2011, a few of my friends were sitting around chatting and we agreed, for a laugh, to all sign up to a dating agency,’ Tina says. ‘I never expected anything to come of it, but I’m so glad I did it."

Tina started chatting to machine operator Kevin Freeman, and agreed to a date at a pub. But nervous Tina made her friend Sheila secretly come along and sit on the next table to keep an eye on her. "It wasn’t long before Sheila’s cover was blown," Tina confesses. "She joined us and the three of us laughed all night."

Tina was attracted to Kevin’s honest and open personality, and she found herself falling for him. But she was still worried about revealing she was a lottery winner.

"I wanted him to love me because of who I was, not because of the money," Tina says. She realised soon after they started dating that Kevin had no hidden agenda.

Tina admitted that she had a secret – a good one – and Kevin told her to only tell him if she thought it was right. Then six months after their first date, Tina spilled the beans. "He didn’t believe me at first," Tina smiles. "The money didn’t change anything for Kevin. He’s his own man and has never bothered about how much is in my bank account."

Finally, Tina had someone to share her life with and when he asked her to marry him, she was thrilled – and so were her children.

Tina with new husband Kevin Freeman Tina with new husband Kevin Freeman

 This September, out of respect to her late husband, Tina and Kevin married in the same church where Colin had been laid to rest. Over 100 guests celebrated with the couple, including other lottery winners. Tina wore a white dress and had the wedding of her dreams.

"I begged and borrowed when I married Colin," Tina says. "This time, thanks to the win, I was able to have everything I wanted – without going silly, of course."

Tina and Kevin jetted off on a two-week honeymoon to Egypt and are now enjoying life in a modest cottage together. But Tina remains the same woman she always was. She only sold the home she shared with Colin last year, and she’s always looking for a bargain.

"I even still play the lottery!" Tina admits. "The money might have changed my life – but it will never change me."

photo:restaurantcassis.ro