Tributes have been paid to a former community warden who has passed away after a battle with cancer.
Jean Dodd, of Woodside Road, Huncoat, worked as a recruitment manager at Express Gifts in Accrington for 15 years before retiring in April 2016.
The grandmother-of-four was also one of the first ever community wardens in Accrington town centre during the 1990s and in recent years helped plant hundreds of trees at Spout House Community Woodland in Huncoat.
She passed away at hospital surrounded by family members on Thursday, December 14, aged 70.
Her son Clive Haslam said Jean will be remembered as a ‘loving, caring and strong’ woman.
Jean, who was the stewardess of the Helmshore Branch of the Royal British Legion, previously lived in Rossendale and in her younger years was heavily involved in amateur dramatics and was a well-known singer.
Clive told the Observer: “She was definitely fun-loving, she lived life the way she wanted to do it and she enjoyed socialising. She was straight-talking, a bit of a comedienne, very strong-willed and level headed.
“She used to love singing. She won us a couple of holidays when we were kids through singing competitions.
“If there was a microphone and a piano you could guarantee my mum would be stood next to it.
“She was always doing fundraising and charity events and was very supportive of Macmillan Nurses. If you had nothing and she had very little then she would make sure you had something.
“If you were colder than her then she would give you the shirt off her back.”
Jean was diagnosed with bladder cancer in early 2016. After being given the all-clear in April this year she was diagnosed with a secondary bone cancer in October.
Clive, 41, from Leyland, said: “It was a shock. We weren’t expecting it. We knew she had cancer before but it took over extensively through her body and they couldn’t offer any treatment.”
Mother to Nick, Billie-Jean, Clive and Alison, and former partner of the late James Jukes, she was widow of Tony Dodd, grandmother of Lukas, Paul, Ayran, Tanya and family pets, sister of Christine and Joan, mother-in-law to Roberto, Lindsay and Philip, cousin and aunty to many.
A funeral service was due to be held at 11am on Thursday, December 21, at Accrington Crematorium, administered by Rev. Philip Norris, followed by cremation.
Donations, if desired, to Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research. The funeral director is Hyndburn Funeral and Monumental Services, Queen’s Road, Accrington.
