Family’s emotional tribute to ‘one of life’s beautiful characters’
81-YEAR-OLD DIED ON HER BIRTHDAY AFTER BATTLING THREE BRAIN TUMOURS
A FAMILY say they’ve lost “one of life’s beautiful characters” who had a “presence of her own”.
Grandma Gloria Chambers, who had lived in Edwalton, was given up to a year to live when medics found she had three brain tumours and diagnosed her with grade four glioblastoma on February 29.
She died on Thursday, August 19 – her 81st birthday.
Her sister Ellen Horn, 79, said Ms Chambers was “one of life’s beautiful characters” as she paid tribute.
“She was a character. You knew when Gloria was in the room. She had a presence of her own,” Mrs Horn said.
“She was very colourful, very beautiful-looking and everybody warmed to her, very generous with herself – she was a lovely, lovely lady – you certainly would not forget her if you met her.”
The diagnosis came as a shock to her family who said she had lived a healthy life.
The day before Ms Chambers’ diagnosis, she had called her sister-in-law, Wendy Smith to wish her a happy birthday.
But Ms Chambers mixed her words and her family thought she may have had a stroke and called for an ambulance.
Retired hairdresser Mrs Horn said her sister underwent radiotherapy “but it was too far gone for them to do any more”.
“They did what they could, she had about six sessions of radiotherapy,” said Mrs Horn, who lives in Orpington, Kent.
After her diagnosis, Ms Chambers was looked after at a nursing home in
West Bridgford, where she died.
The care she received at the home had been “incredible”, the family said.
Retired Ms Chambers, who also had a stroke after her glioblastoma diagnosis, previously worked in a shoe shop in the Victoria Centre.
She was a Conservative Club member and enjoyed dancing.
Ms Chambers leaves behind her brother John Smith, daughter Julie Franklin, sons Gary and Jeff Chambers and several grandchildren.
Aaron Anstey, 44, has raised about £1,500 for the Brain Tumour Research charity in honour of his aunt.
The low carbon energy consultant, who lives in Loughborough, decided to paddleboard more than 200 miles from Wales to Oxford.
His challenge took place from August 2 to August 11 – and Mr Anstey was joined in sections of the journey by his fiancée, Georgina Chetwynd, a 39-yearold social worker from Oxford.
His route took him along the River Wye, the River Avon and River Thames.
On raising money for a cause so close to his heart, Mr Anstey said: “You can’t do anything about it, it seems like, other than just hoping and praying for a miracle really.
“Being able to do this, in terms of raising money, is one day going to [help] other people who happen to suffer this. “That will be amazing – just playing a little part in that. For me it’s just raising as much as I can to help the charity get towards that goal and finding a cure for tumours.” Money can be donated to Mr Anstey’s online fundraising page by visiting justgiving. com/fundraising/ aaron-anstey
She was a character. You knew when Gloria was in the room
Ellen Horn, sister