'An astonishing woman': Mandy Taylor's husband pays tribute to the inspirational Piece Hall ambassador after her death at 53

Mandy Taylor died yesterday morning (December 1) in Kirkwood Hospice in Huddersfield after receiving a terminal diagnosis earlier this year.

The 53-year-old helped to set up Forget Me Not Hospice in Huddersfield and served as ambassador for Halifax Piece Hall.

Her latest campaign, Be More Mandy, was raising funds for One Community Foundation in Kirklees.

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Her husband Andrew told The Yorkshire Post that his wife’s life had “all been about other people.”

Inspirational Mandy TaylorInspirational Mandy Taylor
Inspirational Mandy Taylor

He said: “She was a special person. In the words of the song, Mandy, she was always giving without taking. In anything she’s done, it’s all been about other people, particularly charities.

“She was a tough Yorkshire lass.

“There is a saying that you die twice – when you physically die and when someone says your name for the last time, that is your second death. We are not going to allow that to happen to Mandy.

She was just an astonishing woman who was loved by so many people – but I’m the lucky one because I got to spend almost every day with her.”

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Mr and Mrs Taylor were married in 2012. Mrs Taylor had one son, Elliot, and Mr Taylor has a daughter, Amanda, 28.

The traders’ bell was rung at Halifax Piece Hall yesterday to mark Mrs Taylor’s passing, in a rare move usually reserved for Remembrance Sunday or the death of a member of the Royal Family.

The curator of the Piece Hall, Nicky Chance-Thompson, said: "She was a one-off, one of a kind. I've never met anyone so selfless who continually thought of others. Despite her circumstances she only ever thought about others.

"She loved the Piece Hall and our friendship deepened particularly over the last two years.

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"My stand-out memory this year was at the New Order concert where we gave ourselves a night off and we decided we're just going to go and enjoy the music and I just remember a moment where she sort of pulled me to her and she was crying with the joy of just being alive."

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