A GRIEVING York father of two today paid a loving tribute to his wife who has died suddenly at home.

Helen Williams, 43, passed away at the family home in Bishopthorpe - leaving husband Rob and their two young children, Lucy, aged eight, and Joshua, five.

A post-mortem examination revealed Helen suffered an aortic dissection - a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart.

Rob said he had been inundated with cards and letters following the death of Helen, who was a part-time teacher and very keen tennis and badminton player. One pupil painted a picture of a rainbow with the words: "Mrs Williams Pure Gold".

York acting senior coroner Jonathan Leach said he was deciding whether to hold an inquest into the sudden death.

Rob, 49, a hypnotherapist formerly based at Jorvik Medical Practice on Stonebow, said he would use many of the cards and messages to help him write the eulogy that he will deliver at Helen's funeral on July 15.

He said: "The words everyone uses most about Helen is 'lovely' and 'loyal'. She was very loyal to her friends, selfless and a wonderful mother, totally committed and devoted and adored her beautiful children"

She was a caring and understanding wife too. Rob said: "Whatever I did or wanted to do, she was always there, totally supportive. When I did the 74-mile Great Yorkshire Bike Ride recently she met me at Filey to drive me home."

She had a "wicked, dry sense of humour" said Rob, and at school "always tried to make lessons fun for the children".

Helen, who grew up on the family farm at Strensall with brother Grahame, attended school in Huntington. She met Rob on the tennis court - when they played mixed doubles for Poppleton Tennis Club. More recently she played at Bishopthorpe, where she was a regular in the ladies' teams and captain of the second mixed team.

The couple were due to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary on Tuesday with a day out to Wimbledon, which Rob said they had been looking forward to immensely. Rob said Helen had been to the French Open and they both had been to the US Open tennis tournament in New York and they had dreamt one day of going to the fourth of the "Grand Slams" - the Australian Open in Melbourne. "But it's not to be," he said.

Helen also played badminton for the Middlethorpe team at Bishopthorpe.

After graduating, she took a PGCE and worked as a primary teacher, firstly in Hertfordshire, and for the past ten years at Oakwood Primary School, Seacroft, Leeds. Rob said the school may be closed on July 15 so people can attend Helen's funeral as her untimely death has affected so many people. The school may also run an annual one day tennis tournament in memory of Helen.

Helen worked three days a week at the school and on her days off baked and helped at the Quench Cafe at the local Methodist church in Bishopthorpe, which raises money for good causes. She was also a member of the local playgroup fundraising committee. Rob said: "She was always doing something helpful. The Quench Cafe requested Helen's buns and scones because they were so nice. No matter how tired she was, or if someone asked a favour, she would always help."

Rob is full of praise for friends, family and neighbours who have rallied round. He said: "People have been so generous and thoughtful, knocking on the front door and bringing food and arranging play dates for the children." He paid special thanks to his mother, Vera, her husband George, and Helen's parents, Barbara and David Bartram.

*Helen's funeral will take place on Wednesday, July 15, at 11am at St Andrew's Church, Church Lane, Bishopthorpe. Family flowers only and donations in aid of Martin House Children's Hospice.