Glenys Shelton died on Hunstanton beach on October 20, a month before her 70th birthday, having entered the sea at the height of Storm Babet.
An inquest into her death heard that her mental health had declined after her husband Peter died following a fight with prostate cancer.
Following the hearing, her son James Shelton, 40, described how the death of his father had a devastating impact on his mother.
He said: "She was a fantastic, fun-loving woman and we had lots of laughter over the years.
"The death of my father caused a massive change in her mental health leading her to an irrecoverable position.
"The inquest does give us closure as a family but we still miss her desperately and hope she is now at peace.
"I ultimately think she died of a broken heart."
The court heard that Mrs Shelton, a mother-of-two and a grandmother-of-two, had built a market trading business with her husband before retiring together in Hunstanton.
But after Mr Shelton died in August 2020, her mental health deteriorated and for the last three years of her life she suffered with depression and anxiety.
In 2022, she spent 100 days as an inpatient in Chatterton House, a mental health facility run by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, after which she received visits from carers twice a day.
She was last seen on October 20 at around 5pm by one of her carers, who said she was watching television and eating soup at the time.
Giving a narrative conclusion, senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said: "Mrs Shelton drowned in the sea but the evidence does not reveal if she intended to go into the sea or whether she intended to die."
She was beloved mother to James and Katie and grandmother of Finley and Harriet.
Do you need support? Samaritans can be reached on 116 123 at all hours. Alternatively, contact the NHS First Response Service on 111 option 2.
Woman who died in the sea at height of storm was heartbroken by loss of husband
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19.04.2024
Glenys Shelton died on Hunstanton beach on October 20, a month before her 70th birthday, having entered the sea at the height of Storm Babet.
An inquest into her death heard that her mental health had declined after her husband Peter died following a fight with prostate cancer.
Following the hearing, her son James Shelton, 40, described how the death of his father had a devastating impact on his mother.
He said: "She was a fantastic, fun-loving woman and we........
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