Village burial for Lorraine
Lorraine Harrison lived with her family in Box for 20 years and during that time was at the centre of the local community.
She worked in three schools in the area, specifically helping children with special needs, and was an active organiser of youth sport.
Two years ago she moved to Tonyrefail in south Wales with her husband Tony, to be closer to their young grandson, Lucas.
As well as running school football and netball clubs, she was also secretary of Corsham Boys FC (now AFC Corsham), despite having multiple sclerosis for more than 30 years.
Graham Cogswell, who worked with Mrs Harrison at the football club, described her as the "heart of junior football in the village".
He said: "Despite having MS, Lorraine was the bedrock of the club. She was always cheerful and always keen to help.
"She did so much for young lads and football in this area and most of them probably don't realise it."
Mrs Harrison, who was 57, worked as a teaching assistant at Box, Box Highlands and Christchurch primary schools before being forced to take early retirement in 2002 because of her MS.
Teaching assistant at Christchurch, Kathy Birlinson, who worked with Mrs Harrison, said she would be sadly missed.
"Lorraine was wonderfully patient and kind with children struggling to access the curriculum, always a cheerful disposition despite being wheelchair bound, a font of all knowledge on special needs, and masterful in explaining different aspects to those of us less initiated," she said.
"Her disability seemed to bring out the very best in the children."
Mrs Harrison died on Friday, December 19 and leaves her husband, two children, Jo and Jamie, and her grandson.
Her funeral is at St Thomas a Becket Church in Box at 1.15pm tomorrow, followed by burial at the village cemetery.
The family have requested no flowers but donations to the MS Society and either posted c/o D Bethell, 148 Southdown Road, Bath, BA2 1JL, or collected on the day of the funeral.
Comment on this story