MARY JENKINS died Wednesday March 13, 2013.

The 73-year-old was a tireless campaigner for Spearwood, where she lived, as well as more global concerns such as the environment, poverty and women’s rights.

Cockburn mayor Logan Howlett described Ms Jenkins, a regular candidate for council and parliament, as a “candle in the community”, citing her strong support for women in need. About 50 attended a farewell bash for the Spearwood Residents’ Association secretary on Sunday after she’d emailed a “final message” alerting family and friends she was in the final stages of lung cancer (she was not a smoker).

“She was tired, but she was holding her own,” Mr Howlett told the Herald. “We were shocked she died within a few days of the bash. Her passing is a big loss to her family, friends and the community.”

Gym buddy Bea Hitt says Ms Jenkins was hurriedly writing instructions and penning letters to newspapers when the ambulance arrived to take her to hospital: “She went out fighting,” she says, having shared a treadmill twice a week for eight years.

“It is my pleasure to have known her and been with her when she died.”

Ms Hitt says Ms Jenkins left her remains for medical research. She’d died of lung cancer after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Funeral details will be released soon.

The Herald was amongst those to receive Ms Jenkins’ farewell message and chief-of-staff Steve Grant penned the following reply. “Everyone at the Herald is very saddened to hear your news—the paper will be the poorer for your absence. Thank you for all your valuable contributions over the years.

“If there really is a St Peter waiting up there, it’d be a great scoop for the Herald to prove it, and the one person I can think of who’d be able to sneak through a letter to the editor would be you.”

But we’ll leave the last word with Mary Jenkins: “Thank you for being such good friends to me throughout my life. Love and God bless, Mary.”

by CARMELO AMALFI