Remembering Moray mum Vickie Cooney who made her family home in Kinloss
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A mum who successfully battled to stay alive long enough to see her young sons start school and nursery will be laid to rest on Friday.
Vickie Cooney impressed many with the brave front she managed to present to the world after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Paul, the 43-year-old's husband, said: "I know that Vickie wouldn't want to be defined by the cancer, but it did demonstrate her attributes. It showed how strong and resilient she was.
"She was also straight talking, organised and – most of all – a lot of fun."
Paul and Vickie, who moved to Moray six years ago, were both originally from the Manchester area.
They got together after meeting online and went on to have two children together – Harrison who's aged six and Seth who's three.
The couple married in 2016 shortly after Paul, who's in the 39 Engineers Regiment, received promotion and learned that he was being posted up to Kinloss Barracks.
He said: "I was based in Ipswich beforehand and would commute backwards and forwards to Manchester – but that obviously wasn't going to be possible with Moray.
"To be honest, neither of us really wanted originally to come up to the north of Scotland. I was a city person and Vickie was exactly the same.
"Then, after a couple of months, we suddenly realised how much we were enjoying life up here.
"My family are all back in Manchester but, if I can, I will bring up Harrison and Seth here."
Vickie became known to many people from working at the café in the Forres Community Centre
In addition, after the start of the pandemic, she also took a job at the Fiona Elcock vaccination centre in Elgin.
When Vickie began to feel unwell she initially believed she might have contracted long Covid.
Instead she was diagnosed in June with cancer.
A particularly virulent form, it quickly spread throughout her body.
Vickie had come to love walking and being in the outdoors after moving to Moray.
However, one activity she never took to was wild swimming – which is precisely why her friends organised a 'bracing' dip in the Moray Firth.
Despite being aware that she had a very short time to live, Vickie was determined to come along and watch the event which was held in her honour and saw nearly a hundred people gather at the Captain's Table in Findhorn.
She was also determined to stay alive for long enough to still be around for Harrison and Seth when they started at Kinloss Primary and Nursery.
In addition, she managed to reach her 43rd birthday shortly before she passed away on September 21.
A celebration of Vickie's life is being held from 11am onwards this Friday at Tom Ross & Sons funeral directors on Orchard Road, Forres. All welcome.
