The family of Chris Rea have been left devastated after the legendary singer became the third of his siblings to die within the space of just three months — a cruel sequence of loss that has turned this Christmas into one of unimaginable sorrow.
The 74-year-old, best known for writing Driving Home for Christmas, passed away on Monday following a short illness. His death came only weeks after the family had already been rocked by the loss of two other siblings, leaving those closest to him struggling to process the scale of grief.
In a heartbreaking twist, Chris had recently been filled with joy after becoming a grandfather for the first time — a moment of light that arrived just before the darkness closed in.
His older sister, Camille Whitaker, 79, described his passing as “tragic”, admitting the family was still reeling from the earlier deaths. She explained how their youngest brother, Nicholas, died in October at the age of 66 after battling brain cancer in a Yorkshire hospital. Then, just days after Nicholas’s funeral, Camille’s twin sister Geraldine Milward died suddenly.
“It is an awful pain. It is gut-wrenching what happened,” she said. “The family has been quite shocked by it. It is tragic. We can’t sort of get around it.”
Chris was one of seven siblings and grew up in what Camille described as a loving, close-knit household in Middlesbrough, with their Italian father Camillo and English mother Winifred. Christmases, she recalled, were “wonderful” — memories that would later inspire the song that became a seasonal anthem for millions.
Despite years of failing health, Camille said her brother remained deeply devoted to his family. He lived quietly in Buckinghamshire with his wife Joan and their children, rarely seeking the spotlight.
“He has two daughters and he recently became a grandfather, to a boy, and he was very, very pleased,” she said. “That was wonderful. His eldest daughter Josephine inspired one of his songs. Julia, his second daughter, is the one who got married and had the baby.”
She revealed she had spoken to Chris on the phone just six days before his death, unaware it would be their final conversation. “We kept in touch. If he didn’t answer, he would always call me back. He did that last week, which was very nice — not knowing what was going to happen.”
Camille described Chris as shy, quiet, and reluctant to embrace fame. “He was very quiet. Not a great person on the phone, but I loved our conversations. I loved him dearly. This has left me feeling very upset. It is shocking.”
Chris’s wife Joan and daughters Josie and Julia confirmed he died peacefully in hospital, surrounded by his family. In a statement, they said it was “with immense sadness” they announced his passing.
Though plagued by serious health problems — including pancreatic cancer, peritonitis, diabetes and a stroke — Chris continued to create music well into his later years, releasing albums in 2017 and 2019. His Christmas classic has re-entered the UK charts every year since 2007, cementing his legacy as the sound of homecoming, family, and winter roads.
