He sounds like he was a wonderful person. It also sounds like you are pretty terrific yourself to have such a devoted man in your life.
As for attractiveness, I think everyone's Tastes change over time. As we mature, I hope we truly begin to see the whole beauty of a person, not the skin and bones.
I have a very large weight problem myself. Thanks in part to psych meds. I will spend the rest of my life battling it. I know some people probably think I am fat or gross or lazy. I hope in the end though it's not about that.
A friend of mine (very tall, thin, and pretty) told me she had no idea how much her husband (not tall, thin, or handsome) truly loved her until she had a tragic illness. He stayed by her side, wiped her tears when she cried, patiently soothed when she raged, and washed her hair when she couldn't. She said at that point it wasn't about looking good or being attractive and fun. It was about nursing someone you love so much you would trade your own life away to save. She recovered and they are still very much together.
I think it's a good story because so much love is sold on physical attraction, hotness, youth, and beauty. But love can come in many forms in such different people.