A “pioneer” of nursery education in Barnet has died aged 84.

Nancy Newell, of Leecroft Road, High Barnet, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 27 following a long period of ill health.

The former cancer nurse lived in the borough for most of her life and set up two nurseries in the 1960s – first at Christ Church, in St Albans Road, and later at St Stephens Church hall, in Bells Hill.

The widowed grandmother-of-five, who was renowned for her sense of humour, leaves behind three children, Christopher, Amanda and Roger.

Christopher Newell said: “She had a tremendous sense of fun and laughter – those were her abiding qualities. She was an inspirational figure and very modest too.

“She never complained of anything at all, despite all of the difficulties in her own health. She liked to have fun, and that is how I will always remember her. It was these qualities that percolated through to her work in nursery schools.”

Mrs Newell, the youngest of 11 children, moved with her family to Barnet from Llanelli, south Wales, during the Great Depression of 1929.

The family of 13 lived at 23 Union Street, which has since been converted into Cherry Lodge Cancer Care Charity.

She was married to Dennis Newell for 53 years before he passed away in 2003.

Sadly, Mrs Newell’s own health had begun to deteriorate three years earlier following a fall.

She had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and is thought to have suffered a small stroke during a hip operation after the accident which left her with a rare sleep disorder that confounded medical experts.

For 13 years until her death, Mrs Newell would sleep for four days and nights and then wake for two days and nights in an almost unbroken pattern. The condition baffled doctors and neurologists.

She later developed cancer and, having cared for so many terminally ill patients herself throughout her life, was looked after by her daughter Amanda for the past ten years.

Mrs Newell lived in Barnet for most of her life, first in Tudor Road, then Leicester Road, New Barnet, later in East View, in Hadley Green, and finally in Leecroft Road, off Wood Street.

She passed away at the BUPA Arkley Nursing Home and her funeral was held on Thursday, May 9, at New Southgate Crematorium.

The family is inviting any donations in Nancy's memory for the benefit of the Cherry Lodge Cancer Care charity to be sent c/o J.A. Clark & Son of 103, Wood Street, Barnet who directed the funeral.

Christopher added: “We would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the care staff who so attentively cared for Nancy and made her last days so comfortable and reassuring.

“Our sadness started in 2000 when she first fell ill but all things considered, given her battles with illness and disease, it is a blessing that she lasted as long as she did. We will miss her laughs and her love.”