A ‘DEDICATED’ teacher whose teaching career spanned four decades has died aged 86.

Blackburn-raised Joan Robson (nèe Forshaw) passed away peacefully with her family at her side on Sunday, January 17.

Her son Dominic said: “We are just really proud of who she was. Not just as a really wonderful mum but also as really inspirational and brilliant teacher.

“Joan inspired her students to have high academic standards, a love of language learning and broadened horizons.”

Born on July 25, 1934 in Failsworth, Joan went to school at former Notre Dame Grammar School, Blackburn, on Whalley Old Road from 1945 to 1950.

She completed her final year of education at a school in Liverpool before becoming the first in her family to go to university, studying French language and literature at Liverpool University and the Sorbonne in Paris, graduating with a first class honours degree in French.

Teaching French and Italian, Joan’s first job was at Notre Dame, St Helens, in 1957 before moving to the former Paddock House Grammar School in Oswaldtwistle in 1960.

At 27, she married Tom, a chemical engineer and together they had four children, Dominic, Michael, Jayne and Claire.

Despite raising her children, Joan kept learning at a night school including subjects like German and sociology.

Her real passion though, was for French and Italian languages and literature.

She returned to teaching in 1976, returning to her alma mater, Notre Dame Grammar School in Blackburn, before moving to St Mary’s College, Shear Brow.

She had two decades at St Mary’s and became head of languages before retiring from teaching in 1996.

Joan and Tom lived on Pendle Road, Great Harwood, before moving to Wilpshire and then moving into Spring Hill nursing home in Oswaldtwistle eight years ago.

Joan leaves Tom, her children and eight grandchildren.