Tributes have been paid to a ‘loving and caring’ mum-of-two following her death after contracting coronavirus.
Jackie Cooper, from Accrington, passed away in Royal Blackburn Hospital on Thursday, December 2, aged 48.
Having lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) for 14 years Jackie was more susceptible to the virus despite being double-jabbed and was due to have her booster shot before being admitted to the critical care unit, Lancashire Live reports.
Jackie had lived in the town for more than 30 years, and worked as a supervisor at the Glyn Webb DIY store before her MS illness.
She met her husband Simon while working at a pub in Rising Bridge and also recently completed a nail technician course at Accrington College.
Jackie’s mum Margaret Clegg paid tribute to her daughter, who said she had ‘many, many friends’ in Accrington and also Haslingden, where she grew up.
Margaret, who now lives in Dorset with husband John, said: “She was caring, loving, giving – a pain in the butt at times!
“The holidays we’ve had in Dorset, the times we spent in my village – I have so many happy memories.
“She was still able to get out and about even with her MS, she loved going into charity shops and rummaging to get things for her kids.
“She also loved giraffes, unicorns and karaoke.”
Margaret added that Jackie was diagnosed with diabetes when she was eight and diagnosed with MS 14 years ago, which she said had got worse over the past 18 months.
She died surrounded by Margaret, her dad Ralph, husband Simon and her daughters Shannon, 20 and Alicia, 15.
She also leaves Margeret’s husband John and Ralph’s wife Denise, brother Stephen and his wife Stella, sister Emma and partner Stephen and brother-in-law Darren, plus extended family.
Margaret said it was a comfort that the family were able to say goodbye.
“Whilst she was in hospital she was able to have a laugh and a joke,” said Margaret.
“She was still telling it as it was.
“She wanted everybody to have a good time at her wake.
“I said she liked Bailey’s and the doctors said someone can bring it in.
“And Jackie pipes up with two other drinks she would like and the doctors said you can’t have all three – and she said I don’t see ‘why not, it’s me that’s dying!’
“She decided it was time. Her daughters were extremely brave – they are both going to make her extremely proud.”
Daughter Shannon, a student at Manchester University, paid tribute to her mum.
She said: “She was the best mum you could have; she always tried to make our lives better.
“She was someone you could also go to, if there was something wrong, she would want you to go to her and she wanted to do what she could to help you through anything.
“Me and my sister took the role of my mum’s carer. She’d want us to be strong and carry on.”
Jackie's funeral is at 3pm on Wednesday, December 15, at Accrington Crematorium. Family flowers only please; donations to MS Society UK and Diabetes UK c/o funeral director Caroline Holden-Dewhurst for Johnson, Durning and Woods, Haslingden.
