A FORMER chairman of governors at Carleton Endowed Church of England Primary School, Eileen Porter, has died aged 53 following a five-year battle against cancer, from which she steadfastly refused to be cowed until the very end.

Born Eileen Mary Beckett in Sutton-in-Craven on June 19, 1961, she was educated at the village primary school and South Craven Secondary School, where she became chairman of the sixth form committee and, aged 16, also won a place on the Yorkshire County Youth Theatre’s summer tour.

Eileen, who lived in Skipton, later attended and graduated from university in Nottingham, before moving to London, where she worked for a spell at brewers Whitbread. She returned to her Yorkshire roots to become buyer for Moorside Machining in Bingley, part of the James Walker Group, a global manufacturing organisation.

She met her future husband Andy at the Dog and Gun pub in Malsis in 1987 and within a matter of weeks they had moved in together – and were not separated until Eileen’s untimely death on April 20. “We only spent a few days apart in all the time I knew her,” said Andy.

The couple married on October 7, 1989, at Sutton-in-Craven Parish Church, and lived in Elliot Street, Skipton. Their son, Ed, was born in August, 1992, and daughter, Olivia, in September, 1996.

Soon after Olivia’s birth, Eileen left Moorside Machining to spent more time with her two children – she was devoted to her whole family. Later, she retrained to be a teacher, undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PCGE) course and becoming a part-time lecturer at Craven College, teaching business studies and performing arts.

In 2004, she joined North Yorkshire Adult Education Services as a teacher and educational outreach worker, helping to get people back to work and also working widely in the community. It was a job she loved and through which she made many good friends.

Eileen spent a great deal of time at Carleton School. She was chairman of Friends, a group committed to raising money to help the school, before joining the governors in 2002. A year later, she became chairman, a position she held until 2010.

Eileen was both dedicated and devoted to the school and its pupils, never missing a school trip or an assembly. “She was never really interested in money or a career. She put her energy into unpaid work,” said Andy.

Diagnosed with cancer in July, 2010, Eileen did her utmost not to show it and keep it private, in order that her children could lead as ordinary a life as possible. After conventional treatment, Eileen underwent specialist treatment in Switzerland for much of January this year - sadly, to no avail.

However, while undergoing treatment in 2012, Eileen travelled to New York with daughter Olivia, her friend Laura and Laura’s mother Julie, where they got caught in Hurricane Sandy and were unable to return home for three days.

In fact, Eileen holidayed with her husband and children as often as her illness allowed. She refused to let cancer define her life. Many warm tributes have been paid by family, work colleagues and friends.

A funeral service takes place at Holy Trinity Parish Church, Skipton, tomorrow at 1.30pm, followed by cremation at Waltonwrays, after which Eileen’s life will be celebrated at Skipton RUFC.