First as a colleague and then as a friend to myself and my Mother, I have known Vanessa for half my life and will miss our lovely long chats. I hadn't known her long when my father died (also of a brain tumour) and despite my only having worked with her for a short while she very kindly came to his funeral - a generous act of a caring person. Although our paths didn't cross again work wise it was wonderful to reconnect in later years and finally to move to the same village. Long conversations on the phone and meet ups for coffee made my mother and I feel so welcomed. A shared love of dogs, gardens and painting continued our much valued friendship. Rest in peace.