Tribute paid as funeral held for former mayor of Carnforth and Lancaster city councillor

Carnforth town and Christ Church were the better for her contribution to their life, said Canon John Hall, who conducted the service on Thursday (March 28).

As a young curate in the parish, he realised that Judith was a valuable resource in getting things done.

She was born in Lancaster in 1953, the second of four children of Eric and Edna Jones of Carnforth. She attended Carnforth North Road Primary and Carnforth High Schools.

At 16 she left home to train as a nurse, successfully qualified and started her career at Burnley General Hospital.

Eldest brother Chris Jones, who gave the funeral eulogy, said Judith loved Carnforth and got involved with anything that would benefit the local community, so when she became a councillor she was a natural.

She had the rare honour of serving as Mayoress of Lancaster twice when her mother became Mayor in 1983 and 2000.

Highlights of her role included the opening of the Lune Millennium Bridge in Lancaster and visits to the twin towns of Rendsburg in Germany and Perpignan in France.

She followed in her mother’s footsteps as Town Mayor of Carnforth and took Edna’s seat on Lancaster City Council after her death in 2003.

She leaves two daughters, Lindsay and Penny, and five grandchildren.

Judith died on March 9 aged 70 and the funeral took place at Beetham Crematorium.

Donations in her memory were given to Breast Cancer Now.