Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Balloons released in memory of Wendy, 56
Wendy Wigley was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumours eight months ago.
Despite bravely battling against cancer, Wendy died in her Forfar home last Friday.
Doctors had allowed her to leave hospital to go home to spend one last Christmas with her family.
Wendy had guided countless hairdressers around the region into the trade. She started working at Dundee & Angus College in 1998 after completing an HNC there.
Family, friends, students and work colleagues gathered at the college’s Kingsway Campus — at Wendy’s favourite beauty spot — and launched balloons into the sky in her memory.
Speaking at the event, her husband Len, 64, paid tribute to his wife.
He said: “She managed to make it home for Christmas and that was a real comfort to her and to us — that is where she wanted to be.
“Wendy loved her job. She always wanted to be involved in the teaching side of things.
“She thought that a lot of people gave up on these girls, but she would keep pushing them — she would never give up on any of them.
“She made a massive impact on people. You can tell that by the number of people paying tribute to her.
“She would just say, ‘That’s my job’ — she didn’t see it any other way.”
Len thanked the organisers of the balloon launch and said it was “humbling” to know that his wife had positively affected so many people.
Len also revealed that the pair had made plans to retire to a holiday home in Turkey.
He said that he was due to retire this year and they had decided that Wendy would take early retirement.
Len added: “That was the plan, but it wasn’t meant to be.
“We didn’t think anything of just going home and chilling out.
“We were the type of people who always worked — retirement was meant to be when we enjoyed ourselves.”
Son Aaron added: “She said that she wouldn’t have changed anything – she said she wouldn’t have retired earlier or anything like that.”
Wendy’s funeral will take place on Wednesday at Parkgrove Crematorium, Friockheim.
Friends and family are invited to attend.
DOZENS of people have released balloons in tribute to a college hairdressing lecturer who has died at the age of 56.