Rio Ferdinand First Wife: How Old Was Rebecca Ellison When She Died? What Type Of Cancer Did Rebecca Ellison Have?

Rebecca Ellison was just 34 when she passed away on May 1, 2015, after a short battle with breast cancer.

Rebecca and Rio Ferdinand got married in 2009 and they had three kids together.

She worked as personal trainer and she met Rio while he was playing at West Ham in the 1990s.

Rebecca kept a very low profile throughout their relationship, and she later trained to become an accountant.

Rebecca’s death prompted an outpouring of grief from the football world when Rio confirmed the news with a statement.

“My soul mate slipped away last night.

“Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London”, he had said.

“She was a fantastic loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and granddaughter.“She will live on in our memory, as a guide and inspiration”, he wrote.

Rebecca was laid to rest in Kent in May 2015, and many of Rio’s teammates attended the funeral including former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

It’s believed the ceremony was a celebration of her life, and her three children were allowed to choose the music for the funeral.