Editing John Thaw (section)

==Illness and death==
A heavy drinker until going [[Teetotalism|teetotal]] in 1995,<ref name=DriscollM-2002-02-23/> and a heavy smoker from the age of 12,<ref name=JTObit-TT-2002-02-23/> Thaw was diagnosed with [[cancer of the oesophagus]] in June 2001.<ref>{{cite news |title=John Thaw Has Throat Cancer |newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]] |date=19 June 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=John Thaw Pledges Comeback as He Reveals Cancer Battle |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 June 2001 }}</ref> He underwent [[chemotherapy]] in hope of overcoming the illness, and at first had appeared to respond well to the treatment. However, just before Christmas 2001 he was informed that the cancer had spread and the prognosis was [[Terminal illness|terminal]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Thaw's Cancer Setback |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]] |date=6 January 2002 }}</ref>

He died on 21 February 2002,<ref name=JTObit-TT-2002-02-23/> seven weeks after his 60th birthday, the day after he signed a new contract with ITV,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Thaw+signed+new+contract.-a084536918|title=Thaw signed new contract|date=7 April 2002|work=[[Wales on Sunday]]|access-date=12 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624024117/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Thaw+signed+new+contract.-a084536918|archive-date=24 June 2022|via=[[The Free Library]]}}</ref> and the day before his wife's birthday. At the time of his death he was living at his country home, near the villages of [[Luckington]] and [[Sherston, Wiltshire|Sherston]] in Wiltshire,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sold Down the River |newspaper=[[Western Daily Press]] |date=19 April 2006 }}</ref> and was cremated in [[Westerleigh]], near [[Yate]] in [[South Gloucestershire]], in a private service.<ref>{{cite news |author=Cowling, James |title=Actor Thaw Remembered for 'Generosity and Kindness' |newspaper=Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Counties Publications |date=27 February 2002 }}</ref> A memorial service was held on 4 September 2002 at [[St Martin-in-the-Fields]] church in [[Trafalgar Square]], attended by 800 people including [[Charles, Prince of Wales]], [[Richard Attenborough]], [[Tom Courtenay]] and [[Cherie Blair]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2234576.stm |work=BBC News| title=Charles joins Thaw memorial | date=4 September 2002}}</ref>