Timothy West’s poignant act of kindness for Prunella Scales as she 'forgot who he was'

Timothy supported his wife Prunella who had dementia (Image: Getty)

Veteran actor Timothy West, known for roles in Dad's Army and EastEnders, has died at the age of 90.

He quietly shouldered the role of carer for his beloved wife, Prunella Scales, throughout the final years of his life, as she battled Alzheimer's Disease.

In a moving tribute, his children Juliet, Samuel and Joseph West announced through their father's agent: "After a long and extraordinary life on and off the stage, our darling father Timothy West died peacefully in his sleep yesterday evening."

The couple married in the 60s (Image: Getty)

"[We] have exactly the same conversation every day of the week and it's something I never tire of. Repetition doesn't really exist in Pru's world and the look on her face when she enters the room and sees me sitting there on the sofa waiting for her makes me realise just how much I love her."

Tim first noticed something was amiss with Pru over two decades ago as he watched his wife perform in a play. He noted that she didn't forget her lines or misdeliver them, but he "couldn't see her thinking." However, it took some time before he understood the true nature of the issue and the family received a diagnosis.

Alzheimer's Disease impacts every patient differently, with common symptoms often including repetition, confusion, mood swings, language difficulties and both long and short term memory loss. Yet, when Pru was diagnosed with this devastating disease, they chose not to withdraw from the world, instead continuing life as usual.

Timothy become a carer for his wife (Image: Getty)

Pru even continued working for another ten years, primarily focusing on voiceovers which required minimal script memorisation. Then, in 2013, they embarked on a canal boat trip to celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary, which led to their Channel 4 show Great Canal Journeys.

"We thought it would be viewed by a few elderly ladies on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, but somehow it became popular,' Tim revealed to the Sunday Times. It turned out to be an ideal fit for Pru's condition. Tim further added: "You can just keep your mind vacant, enjoy things as they happen. It's perfect for her."

While Tim still cherished moments with his wife, their once lively conversations dwindled and they often found themselves sitting in silence. Pru's memory also gradually faded.

Tim opened up about the challenges with his wife's hearing, lamenting to the Sunday Times: "It's hard. We used to spark off each other, but now Pru's hearing has got very selective," and added, "They've invested in endless high-tech hearing devices, but he suspects the problem is more her not being able to answer, rather than not hearing. So we can't talk about things,' he says. 'I miss it, and it's not good for me either - my own reasoning is getting less good."