TRIBUTES have been paid to a much loved York nurse who helped to train many working in the profession now.

Great-grandmother Hannah Hewson, of Broadway West in Fulford, was a nurse in York for more than 40 years, becoming senior nursing officer at York District Hospital.

She passed away on March 15 at the age of 93.

Sarah Skilbeck, her granddaughter, said: "As a family we cannot possibly count the number of people who tell us that she helped them through difficult times, and lost track of the nurses that helped her in her later years who told us that she had trained them.

"Nan was compassionate, practical and fun, with an infectious laugh and generous heart. She was incredibly proud of York and its hospitals and always said she had a fantastic career, a family that she was proud of and a wonderful life."

Born in County Durham, Mrs Hewson moved York to study nursing - a job she had always wanted - in 1938.

She trained at City Infirmary and the Purey Cust Nursing Home and City General Hospital.

She later became ward sister at Fulford Hospital and for the last part of her career, until her retirement in 1979, she was senior nursing officer at York Hospital.

Mrs Hewson was a key member of the Royal College of Nursing at Fulford Hospital and conducted assessments of the student nurses as well as being a governor of Danesmead School until it closed.

When she retired she volunteered at St Sampson's Centre in 1979 for nearly 30 years.

Mrs Hewson was married to Bill, who died in 2000. She was mum to Kathleen and Joan, grandmother to Rachel, Sarah, Joanna and Tommy and great-grandmother to Daniel, Jack, Maddy and Sam.

Mrs Hewson's funeral will be at York Crematorium on Wednesday, March 26, at 9.40am.