North-east lobster fisherman Jim Watt has died aged 69 from pancreatic cancer.
His son James, former CEO of BrewDog, shared the sad news on Instagram today.
Jim, who spent his life as a North Atlantic fisherman, was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer in June and died six weeks later in Roxburghe House hospice in Aberdeen.
His son James posted on Instagram: “Only six weeks from his diagnosis my dad has tragically lost his battle with pancreatic cancer and is now at peace.
“This photo shows one of the few highlights of the last few weeks, when we briefly left the hospital in London for some duck pancakes at The Dorchester.”
The picture shows James and his partner Georgia Toffolo with Jim pictured in a hotel lobby.
He also shared photos of himself by his bedside, plus an older photo of Jim at work as a lobster fisherman.
James recently told of hopes to open a charity lobster restaurant in Jim’s memory.
Jim’s ongoing pancreatic cancer battle
He previously said that the news of his diagnosis hit him and his family “like a sledgehammer”.
He has documented his “heart-breaking” struggle with his father’s cancer diagnosis online over the last two months.
An earlier update read: “Up until the start of June my father was a full-time lobster fisherman, hauling 300 lobster pots per day on the North Atlantic – he was fitter and stronger than me.
“I can’t believe how quickly this has gone and that only a few weeks ago he was feeling fit, healthy and catching hundreds of lobsters a day on his boat, the Serene, with his trusty Labrador Jura by his side.”
James’s partner Georgia had also previously shared a touching post about Jim.
She posted on Instagram: “James has been astonishingly brilliant throughout this, and his Dad has been even more so.
“I’ve struggled to see my partner deal with such a scary diagnosis. Sometimes, James will look at me, and I can see the physical pain he is in while he’s pretending he’s ok.
“I’ve tried to do everything in my power to support and love, but the most challenging thing is that no one can change the realities of this situation, no matter how hard you want to.”
‘Jim was a remarkable man’
“I feel so grateful that my family spent lots of time with Jim this year, so they know what a remarkable man he is,” she continued.
“I’m scared to navigate through the following months and years as he is a massive part of our lives and genuinely part of why I fell in love with James.
“Sorry for such a sad post, but it’s our reality right now.
“I said to James last night that it felt like a dark cloud had consumed us all, and I yearn for it to lift. It doesn’t feel like it ever will tonight.
“I held your hand on the first day this nightmare started, and I’ll hold it tonight, too, Jim.
“I love you more than words, @brewdogjames. You’re my hero.”
Conversation