 He was the first main character on Coronation Street to be written out due to the death of the actor who played them, so it was a huge shock at the time.Out of respect for Leslie's family, Jack's funeral took place off-screen, and his death (unlike those of future characters who were written out for the same reason) was presented as a known fact to the main characters from the beginning of Episode 987 (broadcast 8 July 1970), and did not dominate the storyline.Jack left a devastated street of residents and a heartbroken wife, but as he would have wanted, the Rovers remained open and Annie continued to be landlady for another 13 years.