Tributes paid following death of former councillor and health campaigner

Tributes have been paid to a former Rochdale councillor who died earlier this month following a short illness.

Jean Ashworth served on the council between 2004 and 2012 during and after her retirement from nursing in the NHS. Her family have announced their sadness following her peaceful death at home.

The Smallbridge and Firgrove councillor of many years was well known for her campaign work attempting to prevent the closure of maternity services at Rochdale Infirmary.

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In 2010 she delivered a petition signed by over 33,000 people to Downing Street protesting against the closure of the unit. However, the decision was not altered and the maternity unit eventually closed the following year.

A statement issued on behalf of the family by Jean’s son, Steven Ashworth, read: “It is with great sadness that the family announce the passing of Jean Ashworth, formerly Smith, on Friday April 12, peacefully at her home aged 74 after a short illness.

“She was the loving mother of Allan, Wayne and Steven, dearly loved grandma of Ben, Ryan, Ellice, Morgan, Kena, and Theo, sister to Jim, Peter, Sue and Mark, mother in law to Jason and Simone and widow of the late Allan. She will be forever missed by family and her many friends.

“She cared deeply about the area and community she lived in and believed and demonstrated that she could make a difference to local issues. She was an active campaigner to ‘Save Our Hospital’ services and led many campaigns.”

Jean was born in 1949 and lived her whole life in Rochdale. After marrying Allan in 1966, she started work at Birch Hill Hospital and worked nights as an Auxiliary nurse for 10 years before moving to the Rochdale Infirmary on the closure of Birch Hill in 2001.

It was before the move that she started campaigning as she knew then that major changes were happening regarding hospital services and was concerned that worrying times were ahead for the NHS.

Jean retired in 2009 after 32 years service in the NHS. She lost her seat as a councillor in 2012 after defecting from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservatives.