A BRAVE Simonstone grandmother who fought cancer and helped raise money for cancer charities has lost her battle with the disease.
Linda Gully (59), of Whins Lane, died in the Royal Blackburn Hospital 18 months after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
Her family have paid tribute to her and in a moving poem read at her funeral, her 14-year-old granddaughter Kate, describes he
r as "the coolest nana ever."
Her eldest daughter Gill (37) said: "She was a family person who loved her daughters and grandchildren. But rather than a mother and grandmother she was a really really good friend. You could tell her about everything. She was a lovely person."
Originally from Middleton, Linda later lived in Rochdale and brought up daughters, Gill and Karen, while holding down four jobs.
"Mum was a lollipop lady, dinner lady, DJ and also worked behind the bar at the local pub," Gill said: "She used to organise fund-raising discos at the local primary school and gave the money to cancer charities, mainly Cancer Research.
"She also organised fancy-dress pub crawls and did the Blackpool to Rochdale walk twice for charity."
The grandmother of four continued fund-raising when she moved to the Burnley area 20 years ago.
Former Padiham Mayor Coun. Maureen Whittaker, a good friend, paid tribute to her. "It's a very sad time for everybody. Linda was very brave. For me, personally, she was my cheerleader. When I ran the London Marathon she had a huge banner. She came to London with it and pin-pointed different places where she could display it. I saw that banner three times on the way round."
Linda, who worked as a housekeeper at the Higher Trapp Country House Hotel, also supported her friend in the Great North Run and Great Manchester Run.
Both women took part in the annual Morecambe Bay walk and the 55-mile Manchester Bogle, raising cash for cancer charities.
Even though she was fighting illness, Linda completed a five-mile walk around and up Pendle Hill this year, raising £100 for Macmillan nurses with Gill and Coun. Whittaker.
A year earlier she had her head shaved to deliver a £400 boost for Padiham's Big Challenge, Coun. Whittaker's charity as Mayor.
"She was a very gentle person. She liked to be at the centre of things but not as the centre of attention," Coun. Whittaker said.
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