Editing Harry Secombe (section)

==Later life and death==
Secombe had [[peritonitis]] in 1980. Within two years, taking advice from doctors, he had lost five stone in weight.<ref>[[The Unforgettable]]</ref> He had a stroke in 1997 and his colon burst, from which he made a slow recovery. He was then diagnosed with [[prostate cancer]] in September 1998. Following a second stroke in 1999, he was forced to abandon his television career, but made a documentary about his condition in the hope of giving encouragement to others with the condition.<ref name="TVHeaven">{{cite web| url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/hissecombe.htm| title=Television Heaven: Harry Secombe| access-date=12 February 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051118201531/http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/hissecombe.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 18 November 2005}}</ref> Secombe had [[diabetes]] in the latter part of his life.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC News {{!}} Entertainment {{!}} Secombe bows out of limelight |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/439234.stm |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

Secombe died on 11 April 2001 at the age of 79, from prostate cancer, in hospital in [[Guildford]], Surrey.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1315879/Goon-star-Sir-Harry-Secombe-dies-aged-79.html|title=Goon star Sir Harry Secombe dies aged 79|author=Thomas Penny|date=12 April 2001|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> His ashes are interred at the parish church of [[Shamley Green]], and a later [[funeral|memorial service]] to celebrate his life was held at [[Westminster Abbey]] on 26 October 2001. As well as family members and friends, the service was attended by [[Charles, Prince of Wales]] and representatives of [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]], [[Anne, Princess Royal]], [[Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon]] and [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent]]. On his tombstone is the inscription: "To know him was to love him."

At Peter Sellers's funeral in 1980, Secombe sang a hymn and [[Spike Milligan]] joked: "I hope you die before me because I don't want you singing at my funeral." After Milligan's death in 2002, a recording of Secombe singing ''Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer'' was played at Milligan's memorial service.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sir Harry gets last laugh at Milligan memorial |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/24/simonjeffery |access-date=2023-01-29 |newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 June 2002 |last1=Jeffery |first1=Simon }}</ref>

The [[Secombe Theatre]] in [[Sutton, Greater London]], was named after him. He is also fondly remembered at the [[London Welsh Centre]], where he opened the bar on St Patrick's Day (17 March) 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonwelsh.org/about-us/history-of-the-centre |title=History: London Welsh Centre |publisher=[[London Welsh Centre]] |year=2009 |access-date=4 February 2011 |work=[[London Welsh Centre]] website |archive-date=18 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218212722/http://www.londonwelsh.org/about-us/history-of-the-centre |url-status=dead }}</ref>