In Loving Memory of Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas was a man of heart, humour, and kindness. He was one of life's genuine souls - the kind of friend who would help without being asked, and who faced hardship with courage and grace. Everyone who truly knew Rob admired his generosity and spirit.

For more than ten years, Rob shared his life with a devoted girlfriend in the Philippines. She cared for him every day they were together - nursing him through illness, bathing him when he was weak, and bringing comfort, dignity, and love into his final years. Their relationship was built on real commitment, not convenience. She stood beside him when many others were far away.

As Rob's health declined, he returned to the UK for medical care. Sadly, his condition deteriorated faster than expected, and before he could make the personal arrangements he had spoken of, he passed away.

After his death, it became clear that Rob's estate - valued at more than half a million pounds - passed into the control of his immediate family. His long-term partner, who had cared for him selflessly for over a decade, was left with nothing. No gesture of thanks, no token of appreciation, and no support to help her rebuild her life after years of service and love.

Friends, including myself, reached out to Joanne, Rob's daughter, after his passing, hoping that some humanity would be shown - a recognition of what his partner had done for her father when others did not. The response was cold. I was told the funeral had cost too much and that there was no money available. Later, when the girlfriend herself reached out politely to ask for modest financial help, she was blocked on Facebook without a word.

It is profoundly disheartening that this woman - who stood by Rob through his worst days - was treated with such disregard. To block her, simply for asking for compassion, shows a lack of basic decency that Rob himself would never have condoned.

I spent last Christmas with Rob and his girlfriend in Thailand. It was a warm and genuine time. Rob was reflective that week. He spoke openly about his family - how they often appeared only when something was needed, and how disappointed he felt that genuine care was sometimes replaced by convenience. He was clear-minded and honest. Those conversations remain with me as some of the most personal I have ever had.

After his passing, to see those very concerns play out exactly as he feared has been deeply painful. The people who inherited everything turned away from the one who gave everything of herself. The moral failing in that choice speaks for itself.

In the end, I helped Rob's girlfriend financially - not because I had to, but because it was right. Compassion costs nothing, and yet it was denied to her by those with more than enough.

Incredibly, I too have since been blocked by Joanne, who now claims I "didn't know him that well." That statement is as false as it is dismissive. I knew Rob closely. I laughed with him, worked alongside him, shared his private thoughts, and was with him during his happiest and hardest moments. My friendship with him was real - and anyone who truly knew Rob knows that.

This page is not written in anger but in truth. It stands as a record - that love, loyalty, and care came not from those who gained the most, but from those who had the least.

Rob deserved better understanding from those he trusted, and his partner deserved kindness, not rejection.

May God rest Rob's soul.
He was a true friend, a good man, and his memory will not fade.