A GRIEVING mother died less than three hours before her daughter's funeral in a bizarre double tragedy.

Cancer victim Pat Judson, 58, told her family she was determined to be at the funeral despite her illness - but fate denied her the chance to say her final goodbyes to her beloved daughter Jeanette, 33.

Her devastated husband Eric now faces the daunting prospect of attending his wife's funeral on Wednesday, at the same church where his stepdaughter's funeral service was held just five days ago.

Mother-of-two Jeanette died ten days ago of pneumonia, although her stepfather thinks she died of a broken heart after losing her husband to cancer.

Now Mr Judson, 57, of Abbots Road, Selby, believes Jeanette's death "tipped the balance" and that his wife may have slipped away to be with her daughter.

He said: "They were very close and it broke Pat's heart when Jeanette died. It's unbelievable they have both gone so quickly."

Mrs Judson, who was diagnosed with lung cancer just three weeks ago, had asked her husband to pick her up from York District Hospital at 8.30am last Wednesday so she could be at her daughter's funeral at 10am at St Mary's RC Church, Selby.

But she died at 7.15am with Mr Judson at her bedside holding her hand after he was woken at home by police.

Mr Judson, a taxi driver, said: "We had no choice but to go ahead with Jeanette's funeral. Everyone was shell-shocked and it was a case of switching on to auto pilot just to get through the day."

After his stepdaughter's funeral and wake at Selby's Boy and Barrel pub, Mr Judson then had the heart-rending task of going back to the hospital to collect his wife's belongings.

He said: "It's going to be very difficult to come to terms with all this, but you can't just fold up and sit in a corner."

Selby district councillor and friend Doreen Davies said: "Everyone on the estate is devastated. To lose both Jeanette and Pat within days is beyond belief."

Mrs Judson, who would have been 59 on Saturday, was ladies darts captain at the Boy and Barrel, and worked as a cook at Pennyghael residential home in Westbourne Grove, Selby.

She leaves a daughter Colleen, sons James and Stephen, and five grandchildren.

Mr Judson said: "She was very well-known and had lots of friends, and I'm sure the church will be packed on Wednesday."