TRIBUTES have been paid to Sharon Badby, a “pretty, vivacious, clever, hardworking, enthusiastic” member of the Women’s Institute, who has died at the age of 59.

Mrs Badby, of Church Fenton, who had suffered from pancreatic cancer, had left a message to be read out at her funeral, which took place at York Crematorium on Wednesday, in which she urged those gathered to “treat this occasion as a celebration of my life”.

She said: “I want to be remembered as a Christian, Humanitarian and Spiritual person. I followed this path all my life and have worked hard at doing good for others.

“Along the way I have lost and found friends, my true friends are here today and I wish you all well for a happy life and future.”

Mrs Badby’s husband, David, said his wife’s illness had lasted just nine weeks, but that gave her enough time to see all her friends and arrange her own funeral.

He said: “I was given strict instructions by Sharon. She said she’s moved on to a better place, but I have to live here, and I should carry on and enjoy it as much as I can.”

In a eulogy, friend Lois Crump said: “There were many sides to Sharon, the pretty vivacious, clever, hardworking, enthusiastic young lady who in David had found the love of her life and he in her.

“David gave her the nickname of ‘Tank’ because she attacked life, housework, and anything else in her path with fervour, it was a brave person who got in the way when she had a vacuum, hammer or other implement in her hand.”

Together, the couple ran Celebrations, a wedding car business, through a shared love of classic cars, with Sharon fitting out the interiors and creating seat covers, as well as driving a Bentley to a number of weddings.

Mrs Badby also acted in local amateur productions, wrote poetry, and was a member of two bowling clubs as well as dedicating time to the Women’s Institute as treasurer for the Yorkshire Federation.

In her eulogy, Lois also said: “There is a saying that friends are the family we make for ourselves.

“Until she became ill Sharon did not know how many people actually loved her, she was truly sorry that she found out so late in the day – she said tell them all ‘don’t leave it so late to tell people that you love them’.”