Daughter Lynette Sorensen gave a heartfelt eulogy, speaking about a mother she obviously adored.

The church heard Jan was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16 and then again at 39.

When she was later diagnosed with breast cancer, Jan started a support group and began to train as a counsellor to help others suffering from the disease.

“She always had a smile on her face,” Mrs Sorensen said.

“Both of our parents lived life to the full, they always said that in life there were no second chances or do-overs.”

St Albans church was filled with family and community members, many who wore a touch of pink. Mrs Newman, who was a founding member of Can Assist and also worked with the Riverina Cancer Council, Country Hope and ‘look good, feel better’, was remembered for her work in raising much needed funds for cancer research within the Griffith community.

“These ventures became bigger than Ben Hur,” Mrs Sorensen said, telling the church how her mother’s address book had listed names under headings of sandwiches, slices and soup rather than alphabetically.

A donation box for the Cancer Council sat in the church foyer, with mourners wearing pink breast cancer ribbons - Mrs Newman continuing to raise money for others even after death.

“We want to express our thanks to her friends who kept her spirits up and kept supplying her with dessert, the most important meal of the day,” Mrs Sorensen said.

“Deanna, I know you will miss her like a sister - she will always be with you, so behave or you will get a whack across the head.”

The Very Reverend Rob Harris said the day was an opportunity to farewell a person who exemplified love, noting Mrs Newman’s extensive contribution to the community.

“Today we recognise the tremendous effort one individual made for our community,” he said. “Someone said to me the other day that it was almost unbelievable what she did and it was,” Father Harris said.