VIDEO: Marc's proposal to Anne at Holy Trinity Church

THE family of a Shottery man who romantically proposed to his partner in front of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon last July, have paid tribute to his memory after his sudden death earlier this year.

Marc Jones, aged 35, surprised his long term girlfriend Anne Matthews by getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him in the doorway of Holy Trinity which proved a magical moment for gathered visitors who cheered when Anne said “yes.”

The romantic gesture was caught on video by the Herald newspaper which was invited by Marc to cover the touching event as he presented Anne with an engagement ring, a red carnation and read a poem he had written asking her to be his wife.

Sadly, the planned wedding in December last year didn’t take place due to a rare illness that Marc endured called diverticulitus; he was rushed to hospital and underwent a seven-hour operation, which his mum Denise Harris from Shottery described as, “touch and go.”

When he left school Marc attended Stratford College, doing business studies and eventually engineering when he had work experience at Peak Automotive and then a permanent job at Precision Engineering in Masons Road, Stratford.

Marc unexpectedly died at Easter. The coroner's report states the cause of death was accidental. The inquest was held in Birmingham due to his death in Olton, Solihull.

Full story in this week’s Herald.