Tributes to Whalley magistrate who died aged 48 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Tributes to Whalley magistrate who died aged 48

10:00pm Thursday 8th March 2012 in Whalley By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

TRIBUTES have been paid to a magistrate who has died aged 48.

Mother-of-one Mary Bourke, of Witton Road, Whalley, spent her working life as a radiographer at Burnley General Hospital, and decided to give more to the community after beating breast cancer four years ago.

However, it is thought that one of the drugs that she was given during chemotherapy caused leukaemia, which became terminal in January, and she died on Saturday, March 3.

Husband of 19 years, Eamonn, 57, said: “After beating breast cancer, she decided that she wanted to do more with her life, and that’s when she became a magistrate.

“She did about 18 days a year, including some Saturdays, and she loved it. She was very passionate about helping people, as she was with her job at the hospital.

“We also went walking in the Lakes almost weekly, especially around Langdale. It was something we wanted to do when we retired, but because of her illness, we brought a lot of things forward.”

Mrs Bourke, who was raised on a farm with her four brothers in Chaigley, Clitheroe, discovered she was ill with leukaemia in October, and was forced to give up work.

Mr Bourke, a financial controller, added: “It was bad luck that after a masectomy and beating cancer, that she then got lekameia, but we were hopeful after a match was found with one of her brothers to have a bone marrow transplant. Then in January, she relapsed and it was declared untreatable.

“But she was always a very bubbly and strong character and fought her illnesses all the way. People would not have realised she was ill.”

Mrs Bourke leaves behind 16-year-old son Tom, a student at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, and Eamonn’s children from a previous relationship, Dominic, 28 and Clare, 31.

A funeral service will take place at 10am on Monday at Whalley Parish Church. The family have requested donations, if desired, to Fix the Fells online at www.fixthefells.co.uk or to those on the 'Margins of Society ' online at www.thomasonline.org.uk

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