A TEACHER and mum-of-two who died after a battle with cancer will be commemorated with a permanent memorial at her school.

Vikki Lewis – who taught at Dunmore Primary School and its predecessor in Abingdon since 2006 – died just eight months after being diagnosed last October.

The 42-year-old leaves behind her husband Kevin and their two daughters, Olivia, 10, and Ellie, eight, who both go to Dunmore Primary School.

Dunmore head teacher Bob Pattenden said: “Words cannot really pay tribute to Vikki Lewis. She was an amazing woman, a fantastic teacher, a wonderful friend and colleague to everybody here, with a warm and friendly personality that lit up a room when she walked in.

“Since she was diagnosed she has been an inspiration to all of us with her positivity, always thinking about others and putting their needs before her own.

“When I last saw her less than two weeks ago, despite being very ill and in huge pain she was still desperately keen to know what was happening at school and all the gossip.”

The school has opened a book of condolences for parents and teachers to write in, and plans to create a similar one for pupils.

Mr Pattenden said that the school would also be creating a permanent memorial for Mrs Lewis, but would begin deciding what that could be after the funeral.

Mrs Lewis was born Victoria Louise Hanslow in Sutton Coldfield in 1971, and moved to Lincoln with her parents when she was seven.

She went to North Kesteven secondary school from 1982 to 1989, and then studied at Nottingham Trent university where she gained a degree in primary education with honours.

After graduating in 1994, she applied for a job at Carterton Primary School, and started that September.

Headteacher Mike Curtis, who joined three years later, said: “She had a really good relationship with children and had a passion for what she taught.”

After teaching at Carterton for 12 years, she moved to Dunmore Junior School in 2006. It became Dunmore Primary when it merged with the infants school in 2008.

In the school’s November newsletter Mr Pattenden wrote to tell families that Mrs Lewis would be away from work for some time.

In March, after several weeks in hospital Mrs Lewis returned home between treatments.

However she had to go back in April.

She died on June 2. The funeral will be held on Friday at 1pm at Trinity Church in Abingdon.