Just two days after her husband, René Angélil, succumbed to cancer, Celiné Dion’s brother, Daniel, has died. He was 59.
Celiné’s rep confirmed the news to ET on Saturday. Daniel — who was one of Celine’s 13 siblings — passed away after fighting brain, tongue and throat cancer.
“Battling cancer for a few years, it’s in the uttermost discretion and surrounded by his family that Daniel Dion, 59, died today, January 16,” a statement given to ET read. “He was the eighth child of Thérèse and Adhémar Dion, brother of Céline.”
Daniel spent his final days at Maison Adhémar-Dion, a palliative care center in Terrebonne, Québec, a suburb of Montreal.
On Friday, Celiné’s rep confirmed that Daniel was fighting a serious battle with cancer, and Celiné and Daniel’s sister, Claudette, told The Journal of Montreal that Daniel only had “a matter of days or hours” to live.
After the family learned Daniel was dying, they gathered by his bedside.
Daniel leaves behind his mother, Thérèse Tanguay-Dion, his two daughters, Valérie and Marie-Michelle, two grandchildren, Matis and Laurianne, and 13 brothers and sisters.
A memorial service will be held at Salon Charles Rajotte in Repentigny, on Jan. 23, followed by a funeral a few days later at St-Simon-et-Jude in Charlemagne, Québec, where the family was raised.
“Taking in consideration the reserved character of their deceased brother, the family wishes respect and discretion from the media,” the statement continued.
It has been an extremely difficult week for Celiné, as René died on Thursday after his own battle with throat cancer, as we previously reported.
Celiné’ has already canceled her upcoming Las Vegas shows on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 following René’s death.
