A FORMER South Craven woman has died aged 53 after a five-year battle against cancer.

Eileen Porter underwent specialist treatment in Switzerland earlier this year in an unsuccessful bid to beat the disease.

Despite the illness, Mrs Porter holidayed as frequently as possible with her husband Andy and their two children.

"We only spent a few days apart in all the time I knew her," he said.

Mrs Porter was born in Sutton and educated at the village primary school and South Craven School, where she chaired the sixth-form committee.

Aged 16, she won a place on the Yorkshire County Youth Theatre's summer tour.

She later attended Nottingham University and after graduating moved to London, where she worked for brewer Whitbread.

Mrs Porter returned to Yorkshire to become buyer for Moorside Machining in Bingley, part of the James Walker Group, a global manufacturing organisation.

But she later retrained to become a teacher.

She and Andy met at the Dog & Gun pub, Glusburn, in 1987 and married two years later.

Mrs Porter, who lived in Skipton, spent a great deal of time at Carleton Endowed Church of England Primary School.

She was chairman of the Friends before joining the governing body in 2002, which she chaired from the following year until 2010.

"She was never really interested in money or a career," said Mr Porter.

"She put her energy into unpaid work."

The funeral service takes place at Holy Trinity Parish Church, Skipton, tomorrow (May 1) at 1.30pm. The service will be followed by cremation at Waltonwrays, after which her life will be celebrated at Skipton RUFC.