A grandson is urging people to “pick up the phone” and speak to loved ones and vulnerable people in self-isolation after his 82-year-old grandfather killed himself during the coronavirus pandemic.

James Parnaby said his grandfather’s death was one of the “hidden effects of coronavirus” in a tribute posted on Facebook that described Dennis Ward as the “life and soul at family parties”.

He said his grandfather loved betting on the horses and entertaining those around him with stories. “So, when I woke up to a call from my dad last night to say that ‘your grandad has committed suicide’, it came as a huge shock and has hit the family like a tonne of bricks and will be hard to understand for us all.”

Ward grew up in Coventry but spent much of his life in south Birmingham with his wife of 60 years, Valerie Ward. He had worked at Jaguar Land Rover in Castle Bromwich, a village in the West Midlands. The family confirmed to the Guardian that Ward had died at his Kings Norton home on Saturday.

“If you are reading this, I ask you all today, to just pick up the phone to your parents, grandparents, friends or anyone vulnerable to check up on them and ask if they are OK and are coping. I never got the chance to speak to him as I thought he would be OK and would see him on the other side,” Parnaby said.

Parnaby has set up a fundraising page for the charity Mind in memory of Ward, which has collected nearly £2,000. He hoped the funds would help raise awareness about mental health issues, particularly during the current crisis.

“If you could kindly donate anything, whether it’s 5p or £50 it would mean the world to us. This great charity help people with any sort of mental health issues. The coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on our mental health,” he wrote.

Earlier this month, Prof Rory O’Connor, an expert leading the UK’s assessment of the coronavirus outbreak’s psychological impact, said people who feel trapped and lonely during the coronavirus lockdown must be swiftly identified and given the help they need.

Police have recorded early signs of an increase in suicides and attempted suicides during lockdown.

• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.