Tributes pour in for former St Joseph's Workington teacher Jan Lishman

Jan Lishman, 71, who taught for many years at St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Workington, passed away on August 29 after a short battle with cancer.

Speaking last week, daughter Bethan Lishman said: “On behalf of my dad, brother, sister, and I, we lost mum this morning after a battle with cancer. She passed away with her family surrounding her and very peacefully.

“Mum was stubborn until the very end and fought a good battle. We have received many comforting messages throughout the day, and we are so thankful for these.

“She was well known in athletics, especially the London 2012 Olympics being her highlight.

Jan Lishman (Image: Supplied)

“For now, our family needs space to mourn our athletics-mad wife, mum, sister, grandma and aunty.”

Tributes have poured in on social media to Jan, best known to many Workington students at ‘Miss Lishman’, with friends and colleagues paying tribute to the ‘firm but fair’ woman.

Former head of modern foreign languages at St Joseph's in Workington Shirelle Cooper worked with Jan, with the pair still remaining friends long after Shirelle left the school.

Shirelle said: “She taught French at St Joseph's, but also started doing courses for children with less academic ability.

“Sometimes she could seem quite gruff, but she had a heart of gold, she would do anything for anybody.

“She saw the kids as individuals. She only wanted what was best for the children. She had a great gift of pastoral care for the youngsters.

“She was a big-hearted person and I think the kids knew that, and if the young people know you care for them that was a great thing about her.”

Jan has been called a 'true friend of athletics'. (Image: Supplied)

Jan was also a Beaver Scout leader in Brigham for many years.

Fellow beaver group leader Penny Havlin said: “Jan was involved with Beaver Scouts in Great Broughton from its inception in the UK in 1986.

"I first met Jan in 2000 when I took my son to his first Beaver Scout meeting. She quickly found out about my Scouting background and, before I knew it, I was going along on a Tuesday evening and within weeks was back in uniform. Such was her power of persuasion!

“The Jan I knew was firm but fair, could calm the Beavers down with a look, was always full of creative, informative activities and her general knowledge on many topics was second to none.

"Above all else, she knew how to have fun.”

Jan was well respected in athletics throughout Cumbria, England and all over the world, with the ‘pinnacle’ of her time being when she officiated for the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Alan Bell, vice president of World Master’s Athletics, said: “She had been an athletics official for over 30 years, starting with the local athletics up in Cumbria but then progressed to a national level for the United Kingdom. For her personally the pinnacle of her career was when she was selected for the Olympic Games in London 2012.

“On the other side she gave an awful lot of time to master’s athletics and officiated at World Championships all over the world, including in Finland, France and Korea.

“She became chairman of the World Deaf Athletics Association; I was privileged to work with her in Doha.

“For all this sounds very glamorous that she did big meetings around the world and got very important jobs, she never forgot local athletics and would still turn up at local school meets in Cumbria.

St Joseph's School teacher Jan Lishman, who has won a UK Athletics award for her service to officiating. (Image: NQ staff)

“Lots of people will have learnt lots from her about athletics and lots will miss the conversations and advice she would always have.”

Former para-athlete and friend of Jan, Shelley Dowling-Holroyd, said: “Jan wasn’t just an official I called and relied upon. She was also a friend.

“I’d known Jan for many years as an official and she would usually be found officiating the javelin when I was competing. She always listened to the athletes. She was fair and firm but would always strive to get the best out of people.

“When I retired from competing, I worked in para athletics and called on Jan to be my IPC Para Official for competitions I was managing.

“I needed someone I could trust; someone I could rely on and someone I knew would be upfront and honest. Jan.

“The world has lost a true friend of athletics, a true friend of officiating and we have all lost a true friend overall.”

Jan's funeral will take place St Bridget’s Church Brigham at 2pm on Monday, September 11.

Family flowers only, with a collection on the day for Jan's chosen charity being the church she 'attended and loved'.