Linslade headteacher's Jurassic Coast mission will honour dad's battle with prostate cancer

Phil Stock, 42, along with family and friends, will embark upon the 13 mile half marathon this summer to honour former firefighter, teaching assistant, and charity worker, Andy Stock.

Andy died aged 67 in December 2024 after a brave fight with metastatic prostate cancer – and the team are hoping to raise as much money as they can for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Phil said: "Dad was an immensely strong man – both physically and mentally. He received extremely high doses of chemotherapy that frequently made him very fatigued and generally feeling unwell.

"We choose Macmillan specifically because of the enormous support they gave to Dad and Mum during his cancer treatment and particularly during his final days. It was his wish and ours to care for him at home.

"They were so thoughtful and Dad would always make sure he gave them a Ferrero Rocher chocolate as his way of saying thank you!"

Andy lived with his wife, Elaine, in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and was a firefighter for 32 years before having to retire due to a knee replacement aged 49.

He then worked at Elaine's school as a teaching assistant for students on a motor vehicle course. He also took on voluntary work, supporting the Red Cross and "having a heart for people and wanting to help them."

Phil remembered: "One of my earliest memories of Dad was playing hide and seek behind the couch, waiting for him to come home.

"He rode a motorbike to work and wore a black helmet and black leathers. He would appear in the door and then peer around the couch looking like Darth Vader saying: 'I am your Father'.

"He didn’t always come home on a motorbike, though! One winter’s day it had snowed so much that Dad decided to drive a fire engine home instead of risking his motorbike.

"You can’t imagine the joy of running out in snow up to your chest and realising your own Dad has driven a fire engine home! Unfortunately, he’d also pulled some low-hanging power lines down and was dragging them along the road..."

Later in life, both Phil and Elaine retired and volunteered for a Christian charity called Feed the Hungry, having the opportunity to visit Africa's largest slum, Kibera in Kenya.

And despite being diagnosed with cancer in March 2019, Andy continued to help the charity, delivering food parcels to vulnerable people during the pandemic.

"Dad dealt with the news remarkably well," said Phil. "He was obviously upset, but his Christian faith was a comfort and gave him real hope.

"He was determined to keep going as long as he could so he could enjoy seeing his six grandchildren grow older."

Andy braved biopsies, scans, and an initial six months of chemotherapy, before moving on to different medication.

He then endured another nine months of chemo, and finally palliative care – with Andy joking that he was "more like a pin cushion!" thanks to the number of injections he'd received.

Explaining the symptoms of prostate cancer, Phil said: "It started off with frequent trips to the toilet in the night and struggling to pass urine at times.

"The symptoms can be subtle but Dad knew something wasn't right. It developed into pain in his bones and extreme fatigue."

On the ward, Andy was "determined to be positive" and would "actively seek out" other patients to provide comfort and support.

To honour his courage and thank the Macmillan nurses, Phil and his family will be taking on the Jurassic Coast Mighty Hike this summer – and have set up a JustGiving page which stands at an impressive £1,160 so far.

The headteacher will be accompanied on the challenge by his mum Elaine, 66, sister Amy Mollallegn, 40, brother-in-law Zach Mollallegn, 47, wife, Naomi, 34, and Andy's best friend, Jeff Steven, 69.

Phil added: "I've got dodgy knees – a legacy of playing rugby – so I'm doing weight-training at Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre to strengthen my leg muscles. Collectively as a group we're trying to get some miles in our legs between now and the race.

"Dad would tell me to take care of Mum, be careful of my knee and not to get too close to the edge of the cliff – he'd joke that he wasn't climbing down to get me if I fell off!"

The money raised will "power essential services" – Macmillan's nurses, emotional support lines, and local care centres.

It will also enable the charity to provide financial grants – to ease the burden of cancer-related costs – and supports advisors who help with money management.

Phil said: "I would like to say thank you to the Macmillan nurses for all their support – without which we would not have had the privilege of caring for Dad as he died; to my mother, Elaine Stock, who cared for Dad with dignity, grace, patience and love; and finally to all our donors - you will provide vital support to those living with cancer and their families."

Phil is also "immensely grateful" to Linslade School and the Chiltern Learning Trust for allowing him time away from school to care for Dad in his last few days.

Paying a final tribute to his father, he said: "Andy was a kind, caring and faithful man. He had a great sense of humour and a strong sense of justice. He was committed to serving his family, church family and community.

"A number of the nurses came to Dad's thanksgiving service said they had never met anyone like him before – someone who, despite his cancer, had a heart for people and God and wanted to share his faith with them."

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