A LOLLIPOP lady who helped generations of Newport primary school children cross the road has died.

Teresa Hill, 48, worked as a lollipop lady at St Julian's Primary School from October 1995 until her death on July 11, after a six-month battle with cancer.

Husband Chris Hill, who met his future wife when they were both 17 and growing up a quarter of a mile apart in Bettws, described her as someone who was happy-go-lucky and a private person.

"She was a hive of activity and always had something to do," said Mr Hill, 48, from St Julian's, a former postman and now a manager for Royal Mail.

"Year after year she had commendations from the school for never missing a day's work on the crossing, then coming home and doing her cleaning business, TMH Cleaning Services.

"Despite doing all these hours working and saving and helping my sons, every summer we would get away camping for three weeks."

An avid Newport County fan, Mrs Hill was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2012 and started chemotherapy.

"We would go down together and she would go shopping in Whitchurch and we'd go for a meal afterwards," he said. "She totally embraced it and she gave us strength through that."

Major cancer surgery followed in early June but doctors warned Mrs Hill that, due to complications, the possibility that something could go wrong had risen to one in four, and she later died at St Anne's Hospice.

"We are totally devastated," said Mr Hill. "This was a short brutal fight and she still took it head on, we are just so proud of her."

The couple's sons, Anthony, 26, now a postman, and Jonathan, 23, a children's care home worker, were Argus paperboys for eight years and the family has received cards addressed to the boys from their former customers.

The frontman of one of Mrs Hill's favourite bands The Alarm, Mike Peters, wrote to Mrs Hill during her illness about his own battle with cancer.

St Julian's Primary School head teacher David Rees said Mrs Hill, who lived near the 587-pupil school, did a fantastic job come rain or shine.

"It's not an easy job because it ties you down totally," said Mr Rees, head teacher for the past 11 years. "Teresa ran to work and was always running. She was always lovely with the children and was known by the parents, she was very much a part of the school community.

"We will miss Teresa tremendously and it is a tragedy she has passed away at such a young age."

Mrs Hill's funeral cortege will pass the school at 1.30pm today before travelling to St Mary's Church, on Stow Hill.

A wake has been organised in the Bisley suite at Rodney Parade from 4pm.