Heartfelt tributes to beloved ‘Lipstick Sue’
TRIBUTES have been paid to a hugely popular teaching assistant after she lost her battle with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) aged just 66.
Sue Whitehead was the beating heart of Abbey Hey primary school in Gorton for more than 30 years.
She joined from the former Varna Street school in Openshaw as a TA and later took on more responsibility as a safeguarding lead, winning national and local awards for her dedication.
But in reality, Sue’s role at the school, and indeed the wider community, could not be defined by a job title.
A glamorous woman who visited her favourite salon, Dean’s, every week, and often went by the nickname ‘Lipstick Sue’, she was the member of staff that any child or parent could talk to, with a warm personality, wicked sense of humour and knack for solving problems.
As one colleague put it: “You won’t find a single person who’s come through the doors of Abbey Hey who doesn’t know Sue and what a fantastic job she’s done.”
Born and bred in Abbey Hey, one of the most deprived parts of Manchester and the country, Sue was fiercely committed to helping families in any way possible.
The M.E.N. reported in 2018 how she was among staff at Abbey Hey buying gas and electric, as well and coats and shoes, for desperate parents. Sue was also instrumental in setting up the school’s own year-round food bank, which, true to her legacy, will this week be providing 32 families in need with food parcels and Christmas presents.
Sue’s death last week has left the school, her husband Dave, sons Matthew and Gary, and two grandchildren, utterly devastated.
Headteacher Paul Graham was inundated with hundreds of messages of condolence from parents past and present.
Melissa Murphy, for example, wrote: “Thinking of all her family. RIP you beautiful woman. I’ll never forget what you did for me and my kids.”
Headteacher Mr Graham said: “I remember saying at her retirement speech, things are run ‘the Sue way’,” Mr Graham added. “Well it’s still the ‘Sue way’ now. “She had a massive influence on the leadership of the school and the direction of the school.”
Vice-Principal Catherine Horton-Hale added: “We were totally in awe of her. She was so courageous.”