Jan Wilson, CBE

Following her death, her life and work earned a moving tribute from former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. He had met her several times during her 12 years as Labour leader on the council, and said he was deeply saddened to hear of her death.

"She achieved a great many things for the Labour Party but most of all for the people she served in Sheffield. She worked tirelessly to improve people's lives in the city she loved. I would like to pass my deepest sympathies to her family and friends," said Mr Brown.

David Blunkett, Sheffield Hillsborough and Brightside MP, described her as one the bravest people he knew. He said: "No one could have been more courageous or struggled more gallantly against her prolonged illness.

"This was a measure of someone who had given her whole life to caring about and improving the lives of others. She will be sadly missed. Jan deserves a great thank you from all of us."

Her chief political opponent, Liberal Democrat Paul Scriven who now leads the council, said that Jan Wilson had Sheffield "running through her veins".

He added: "I have always had the utmost respect for Jan and the way she worked. Jan was born a Sheffielder and you could always tell that she was immensely proud to lead her home city. She showed what a true fighter she was by battling on for so long despite her illness. The town hall won't be the same without her."

Compassionate and unassuming, Jan Wilson was also forthright, competent and reliable; her leadership qualities were unmistakable, and they took her to the top of the greasy poll which is local politics in a large and diverse city.

As leader at Sheffield City Council from 1998 to 1999 and again from 2002 to 2008, she was an elemental force in the re-invention of Steel City, helping to end the long decline at the heart of it, and fill it with energy once again.

She played key roles in the course of her public career since first being elected to the council in 1992, representing the Manor Castle Ward.

It was not long before she became chair of two crucially important committees – those of planning and economic development, and of education – and in 1998 she was elected leader of the Labour group.

She became a board member of Yorkshire Forward, a member of Core Cities Group, of the South Yorkshire Leaders Group, of the South Yorkshire Partnerships and of Sheffield One Board (Urban Regeneration Partnership). She was chair of Sheffield First (Local Strategic Partnership) and deputy chair of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport.

David Brown, director general of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, said: "Jan worked tirelessly to ensure South Yorkshire had the very best transport infrastructure possible. She knew how important it was to ordinary people's lives."

Her career outside politics saw her working in the steel industry from 1960 to 1972; she became a volunteer with the Citizens Advice Bureau in 1975, and she joined the staff in 1988, remaining until 2002.

In December, 2006, she was awarded the CBE for her public services, and in January the following year, aged 62, was diagnosed with lung cancer.

She decided to continue as Labour leader through her treatment, despite her party losing control of the council to the Lib Dems in May 2008.

Jan, whose pleasures in life outside politics included watching cricket, crosswords, music, reading, going on holiday and pottering in the garden, had recently started a new round of chemotherapy, and two weeks ago stood down as group leader.

For Clive Betts, MP for South East Sheffield, she was "Labour through and through – but more importantly she was Sheffield through and through".