Overwhelming response to the death of stalwart Cubbington villager, former Leamington school headteacher and "loving and caring" woman Theresa Saul

Theresa died on Mothering Sunday (March 22) aged 77 having battled bravely against illness including bowel cancer in her later years.

David, her husband and also a well-known villager who has served on the parish council for many years, has provided a tribute piece for The Courier and Kenilworth Weekly News, describing Theresa as "his rock and mentor" particularly when he became ill himself in 2000.

David said: "Theresa was an amazing wife, mum and grandma and held her Christian faith close to her heart converting me to a Christian way of life.

"News of her passing quickly spread in our community and much wider with so, so many expressions of loss by card and phone call.

"It has been so overwhelming and she will be greatly missed by all who had known her for the loving, caring, person she was.

"She was dignified to the end asking for the final blessing the day before she died."

Theresa was born in Lydney, Gloucestershire, and went to primary and secondary schools there.

Her first job as a teacher was in Brixton where she worked for two years before moving to Leamington to teach at Clapham Terrace Primary School.

She met David and they married on March 29 1969 - the day of that year's Grand National with the winner being Highland.

The couple first got a flat in Cubbington where their son Richard was born.

In June the couple and their son moved to Price Road which was their home from then on.

While working at Clapham Terrace, where she was headteacher for two years and served as the acting headteacher twice, Theresa would keep many animals including rabbits, goldfish, gerbils and hamsters, which she would bring home at weekends and during holidays.

When the school was threatened with closure she formed an action group and took the case to Warwickshire County Council.

Despite being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was only 33, Theresa continued teaching and rarely, if ever, took a day off sick in the 38 years she worked.

For 21 years Theresa was the secretary for the charity Arthritis Care and she also served on Cubbington Parish Council for which she was the chairwoman for eight years.

Theresa was also a foundation governor for Cubbington CofE Primary School for many years and a member of the Affected by Bowel Cancer support group.

None of Theresa's illnesses or ailments stopped her from travelling to 22 different countries with her art group.

David has described the couple's grandchildren Rebecca and Eliot as "the loves of her life".

Despite having been bedridden for two weeks, Theresa found the strength to attend the funeral in February of her daughter-in-law Susannah who had died of cancer in January.

David said: "Theresa took the loss very badly and I felt that was the final straw with her getting frailer each day."

Theresa's funeral took place at Oakley Wood Crematorium today (Wednesday, April 8) with David and Richard in attendance.

A memorial service will take place at St Mary's church in Cubbington on a later date which has yet to be arranged.

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