WARM tributes have been paid to a “fun” and “trustworthy” man from Kinmel Bay who died last month after a short battle with cancer.
Jordan Swift-Simpkin died on Monday, December 18 aged 43, having “very bravely” fought his illness.
He is survived by his partner of more than 20 years, Nicola Park; his father; his brother; and his two sons.
Hailing from a family of travelling showmen in Cheshire, Jordan worked as an environmental crime officer for Flintshire County Council, and as a security guard prior to that.
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Nicola celebrated the life of her late partner, saying: “He was a stay-at-home person; he liked his football and rugby. He was a Manchester United fan, so he took the kids and his brother to matches, but he wasn’t one for going out much.
“He was quite happy at home with the kids, watching sport on the TV with them.
“He loved our holidays abroad in the sun; taking the kids to Disneyland Paris a couple of times, and we went to places like Turkey, Egypt and Majorca together.
“His battle with cancer was very short; we only found out in summer, but he fought it very bravely.”
Jordan’s funeral will take place tomorrow (January 12) at Denbighshire Memorial Park and Crematorium in St Asaph.
Phil Broughton, a close friend of Jordan’s, will be a pallbearer at the service.
He said: “Jordan was many things to many people, but to me, he was a loyal friend. He was always there for me if I needed him, and I like to think I was there for him, too.
“We shared many eventful nights working the door together; his humour always got to me. Rest in peace, brother.”
Martyn Farr worked with Jordan at Flintshire County Council for seven years.
He added: “Jordan was a personality-and-a-half. He had a knack of making the room laugh, or go moody with a bad mood.
“We use to wind each other up rotten, and Jordan would fly off the handle, and then come back in the office five minutes later like nothing had happened.
“There are so many funny stories from him - he bought a Bargain Bucket from KFC and strapped it in to the passenger seat next to me.
“I didn’t want anything at the time, but it smelt so nice, so I took a drumstick, and he looked at me and said: ‘I thought you didn’t want anything, you owed me £1.20!
“He was a funny, loving man - for seven years every morning, I would get a message or a phone call off him asking where I was and what I was doing, even if we weren’t in work.
“He was good at his job, but more importantly, he was a fantastic human being, and he adored his boys. He always spoke so highly of them.
“He is very sadly missed. Work and everyday life isn’t the same without him.”
Paul Curzon, a friend of Jordan and his family, added: “He was such a loved person; what’s not to love, if you’ve seen his lip-sync videos?!
“I got to know him well, and then became good friends with Charlie, his brother. It’s been a real pleasure knowing Jordan; there won’t be a day where he’s not thought of.”
Jonny Kind, who knew Jordan since their time at high school together, remembered him as a “one of a kind” person with an “infectious smile”.
He said: “He was always a fun character; he was also one of the must trustworthy and supportive people I've ever met. I could trust him with confidence.
“We spent many days in the 1990s at his Winsford home, watching Manchester United with his family, listening to music, and watching Only Fools and Horses, to the point we could recite entire episodes with many laughs.
“When he moved back to Wales, we stayed in touch through social media. Although we hardly saw each other in person in the latter part of his life, I will always remember him for the kind-hearted support he provided, and words of encouragement given to me over the years.
“He always stayed in touch. Over the last 12 months, instead of talking about his health, he would rather not focus on that and make sure I and the family were looking after ourselves.
“He really was one of a kind, with an infectious smile and personality. I will always remember this firstly, and I speak for many people that knew him in Winsford that he will be hugely missed.”
Jimmy Garland, a former colleague of Jordan’s, added: “Jordan was a close friend and colleague. He brought joy to the security teams he worked with, with his witty sense of humour, sarcasm and timing.
“He will be sorely missed by all that worked with him.”
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