Tributes paid to animal champ
NEIGHBOURS and friends paid their respects and said farewell to an animal loving great-grandmother.
Jean Corless was an active member of Rossendale Responsible Animal Rescue (RRAR) and fostered and found dozens of forever homes for dogs with her husband Jack.
The mum-of-three died on June 22 at her home on Oak Avenue in Rising Bridge, aged 79, leaving a large family.
A moving service with hymns, songs and eulogies was held in Jean’s front garden on Tuesday, before moving on to Burnley Crematorium.
Waterfoot-born Jean, who also lived in Bacup, had suffered with the lung disease COPD.
She had been in hospital with pneumonia before coming home for end of life care.
Known by many as aunty or nana Jean for her kindness and mothering instincts, she would have celebrated 60 years of marriage to Jack, who she met at Rawtenstall’s Liberal Club, this December.
Messages have flooded in on the RRAR Facebook page, run by Michaela Holt, who also posted her own tribute to “an amazing lady”.
The tribute read: “This little lady despite her age would take on anyone that crossed her or her friends, both 2 and 4 legged.
“Although Jean had a huge and loving family, she embraced every single volunteer for RRAR as one of her own.
“Despite her age, she still helped to trap ferals up until her failing health a couple of years ago. If love could have kept our Jean with us, she’d have been eternal.”
Jean’s daughter Jackie Buckley, from Newchurch, said they wanted it to be a celebration of her life and a final journey, not a funeral.
She said: “She has always been an animal lover, and we all have dogs and cats now.
“Dad is just the same and would get in the car and help fundraise.
“She was a big part of the Rising Bridge community as well, so all the neighbours came out.
“It was a little bit overwhelming.”
To donate in Jean’s memory to the charity visit gofundme.com and search for RRAR.
More than £1,100 has been pledged, along with £330 donated at a bucket collection.
» » See obituary below.