A FORMER Barnoldswick councillor who would "lend anybody her last 10p" has died at the age of 79.
Marlene Hill-Crane, who lived in Barnoldswick, died on Saturday, May 7, at Airedale Hospital.
She was born in Derbyshire and moved to Barnoldswick in the late 1980s.
A former weaver at Thomas Mason mill in Colne, Marlene later trained at Manchester Polytechnic and became a youth and community worker.
She retired because of ill health in the mid-1980s, but she continued to work with teenagers.
"She was very kind and considerate, and always helped anybody and everybody," said her son, Steven Hill-Crane, of Barnoldswick. "She cared a lot about people. She would lend anybody her last 10p if they needed it."
Later in her life, Marlene became a Pendle borough councillor and was especially active on disability issues.
She was also a member of Barnoldswick Town Council, and served as chairman for a time.
Steven said many people would remember her for starting a petition and campaign to keep open Cravenside Home for Older People, after the Barnoldswick nursing home had been earmarked for closure by Lancashire County Council.
For the past two years, Steven said his mother lived at the Barnoldswick care home, on Lower North Avenue.
"She was such a lovely lady, who was full of humour and was always smiling," said Jennifer Purcell, chairman of Cravenside. "She's going to be sadly missed."
And Cllr David Whipp, chairman of Barnoldswick Town Council, added: "Marlene was a determined individual who stuck up for local residents.
"She was involved with getting the first ever continental market to come to Barnoldswick."
Marlene is survived by her son, Steven Hill-Craven, and two grandchildren, Jordan and Eloise.
Her funeral will be held tomorrow, leaving Briggs and Duxbury in Barnoldswick at 12.50pm for a service at Skipton Crematorium at 1.20pm.