An Angus teacher has died at the age of 51 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Jill Allen who was mum to Matthew, 22, and Hayley, 25, died at home on Tuesday surrounded by her family.
Her husband Laurence, 53, said: “She was a very genuine, loyal and extremely caring woman, who liked to champion the cause of the underdog.
“She always put others before herself even in her final months and never once complained about her illness or felt sorry for herself.”
Letham Primary School teacher Jill complained of feeling ill at her father-in-law’s funeral in February last year. Mrs Allen, who was born in Dundee, went to her GP and was eventually referred to Professor Sam Eljamel at Ninewells Hospital.
A scan found a tumour the size of a small orange pressing on her brain and an operation was carried out to remove it just three days later.
The surgery removed 95% of the tumour and Jill was put on a course of radical chemotherapy and radiotherapy while the tumour was analysed.
In March 2012, she returned to hospital to be given the news she had fourth stage glioblastoma, which is the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumour.
Mrs Allen was told the prognosis was terminal and she would be kept on steroids and have to return to hospital every three months for a check-up.
She returned to work part-time but the cancer progressed just six months later and went back under the knife to remove the mass.
Mrs Allen then had to go in for a third operation in June this year as the cancer spread but it had a profound effect on her and left her with mobility issues.
Laurence said his wife decided she was not going to have any more operations and wanted to let nature take its course. Despite her illness, she would stay active by volunteering at the Boomerang drop-in centre in Dundee.
She also helped out at daughter Hayley’s beauticians and raised money for brain tumour research. Laurence said: “I met her when she was 14 and we married when she was 18 and I was 20.
“We would have been married 32 years on October 24.”
He added: “Her family and the school were the most important things in her life. That’s what she lived for. She was so proud of Matthew and Hayley and she was happy knowing they were doing so well.”
Mrs Allen planned her own funeral before she died and the service will take place at Parkgrove Crematorium in Friockheim on Thursday.