Alan Rickman’s widow, Rima Horton, reflects on his passing from pancreatic cancer a decade ago. She revealed he lived for six months post-diagnosis, prioritizing a pain-free departure and controlling his final arrangements. Horton emphasized his desire to avoid pity, highlighting his immense talent and the void left by his untimely death.

Alan Rickman, the beloved actor who played the iconic role of Professor Snape in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, lost his life to pancreatic cancer in 2016. Now, on his 10th death anniversary, Alan Rickman’s widow Rima Horton reflected upon the devastating chapter and the legacy he left behind. Horton, who was with the late Alan Rickman for nearly four decades, believes he had “so much more to give.” She also revealed that Rickman lived for around six months after being diagnosed. Horton was promoting a charity prize drawing to raise funding for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Rima Horton remembers Alan Rickman’s legacy

Horton, 78, shared her sense of loss and admiration for her late husband, who was lost to a devastating diagnosis. “He had so much more to give. There were so many more things he could have done,” she shared on ‘BBC Breakfast’ as per The Daily Mail.

Rima Horton shares Alan Rickman’s response to cancer diagnosis

Rima, a former academician and politician, recalled how Alan Rickman navigated the shocking diagnosis with a level head. “The first thing he ever said to the oncologist was, ‘I don’t want to die in pain,’ and they made sure he didn’t,” she recalled. “I think he wanted to say goodbye to his friends and have it under his control. He even organised his own funeral because he didn’t want it to be a mess.” Horon also recalled how their family had kept his cancer diagnosis under wraps up to that point, “We didn’t tell anybody apart from our families at first,” she explained. “Alan didn’t want people to look at him and say, ‘Oh, how sad.’” She added that Alan Rickman lived for six months after his diagnosis due to chemotherapy, which she said, “extended his life a bit, but it didn’t cure it.”Rickman died at the age of 69 on January 14, 2016. His family told PEOPLE in a statement at the time that “he was surrounded by family and friends.”

Alan Rickman’s distinguished career

Alan Rickman’s career spanned more than four decades. He gained international recognition as Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988) and later portrayed Severus Snape in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011. The late actor earned a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe, and one Emmy nomination.