A MAN who lost his wife to cancer has paid tribute to the ‘lovely, bubbly and very considerate’ woman he adored – and to Springhill Hospice for ‘smoothing away the pain’ during her final days.

Mavis Mallinson passed away in the hospice on 9 December in the arms of her devoted husband, Geoff. She was 72.

Mr Mallinson said: "The hospice is a wonderful institution. We had been to fund-raisers there but saw another side when Mavis was admitted as a patient. It opened my eyes to the wonderful place it really is.

"The staff are so wonderful and professional.

"They helped Mavis get on top of the pain, which the hospital hadn’t been able to do.

"As soon as she went in Springhill Hospice she was content."

In her younger days, the mother-of-one was a hairdresser and ran a salon in Oldham Road. She went on to set up and run the in-house hair salon at Marks and Spencer.

Geoff, her second husband, said: "When we first moved to Milnrow she resumed her trade by providing a hairdressing service for the older ladies in the area.

"She became well known flying round the village on her trusty Vespa scooter. With her coat flying out behind her she looked like Mary Poppins."

He said that Mavis, who became his wife in 1987, readily admitted to being a shopaholic and loved beautiful clothes.

He said: "This eventually led her to work in the fashion trade and for many years she managed two well-known ladies outfitters, Seniors and Kay’s, as well as being an assistant with Principles and spending time on the shop floor at Boots and M&S."

Nine months after Mavis was diagnosed with cancer – and despite the initial prognosis being a positive one – the couple were told her condition was terminal.

Mr Mallinson said: "She was such a brave lady and never once did I hear her complain. She knew she was dying but said, what will be, will be."

Generous to the end, she left instructions that she didn’t want a funeral, but would donate her body to medical research.

Instead, relatives and friends were invited to an evening commemorating her life at Norden Bowling Club.

The event raised more than £700 for Springhill Hospice and Mr Mallinson said money was continuing to come in.

He said: "Mavis was a beautiful, happy, unselfish person who always put others before herself. She was my best friend, companion, confidante and my soul mate."

Urging the importance of supporting Springhill Hospice, the father of two added: "Mavis’s illness was relatively brief, but nevertheless traumatic. Yet Springhill Hospice smoothed all the pain away and for that I will be forever grateful."