Family remembers Belfast dad John Taggart, who passed away suddenly at 38. They aim to raise awareness and funds for charity.
John Taggart was from the Shankill Road area. He died on January 21, 2024, at only 38 years old. John sat in his chair and didn’t wake up.
He left behind his mom, Ann, and two young children, Taylor and Katie. His partner Linda, sisters, and brothers are heartbroken, and many nieces and nephews mourn him too.
John started gardening at just twelve years old with only a lawnmower and trimmer. This passion grew into his own business, named JT Property Services.
The family plans to honor John’s memory on May 19th, which would have been his 40th birthday.
His niece, Stacey Kerr, spoke about the loss, saying it’s been hard since his heart attack. He was a valuable member of the family, and losing someone so young feels unreal.
John’s mother was already grieving her husband, Stacey’s grandfather, Hugh, who died in 2020 after a stroke. John was her youngest son, the family’s life and soul, and he took his role as an uncle seriously.
He loved having money and started working young, using his mom’s trimmer for gardens. He served the Oldpark and Shankill community, made friends, and started a business after saving up for his own tools.
Stacey said he lived life to the fullest and loved his family very much. One night, he sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, fell asleep, and never woke up. This was devastating for everyone, and they will honor his 40th birthday this year. They want to make a difference.
Their goal is to raise awareness and money to help other families in similar situations, as they support Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).
NICHS helped them through tough times, including with granda’s strokes and rehabilitation. The charity also aided Stacey’s mom after strokes and gave support to the family during their grieving.
They planned a charity night for NICHS at the North Working Men’s Club, where they did two nights for Stacey’s grandfather before, raising over £7,000 previously. Public donations helped a lot, she shared.
They want to do their best for John, and Stacey hopes for more support this time. They request donations for raffles and can be contacted through Stacey McAllister on Facebook or at her email, staceykerr2023@gmail.com.