5:39pm Monday 5th November 2007
TRIBUTES have been paid to a well-known North Petherton keep fit enthusiast, who set up a gym to help woman from the town stay in shape.
Sue Kirby, who was 55, died on Wednesday October 31 from pneumonia caused by the weakness of muscles in her lungs - a result of a rare disease known as Myositis, with which she was diagnosed with in 2000.
Mrs Kirby, from Baymead Lane, helped create Petherfit keep fit classes for villagers during the 1990s.
Her husband Nick Kirby said: "She noticed that many people in the surrounding villages did not have any keep-fit facilities and were forced to travel into Bridgwater or Taunton, so she decided that she would take keep-fit to the local village halls and community."
In 1998 Sue took a course and gained a teacher training diploma to teach aerobics and fitness to music and set about creating a business around the new step-up dance routines.
Mr Kirby said: "Soon she was taking step-up classes nearly every day of the week and she then decided to convert the barn at the side of her house in into a purpose built gymnasium."
But she was forced to give up her keep fit in the late 1990s and it was in 2000 she was diagnosed with the rare muscle wasting disease.
"The irony of it is when she was diagnosed the doctor said his experience of this disease is people die with it, as opposed to die from it," said her husband.
"Sadly that has unexpectedly not turned out to be the case."
Unfortunately Mrs Kirby's deteriorating condition meant that she felt too ill to attend her son's university graduation ceremony just three weeks ago, although she did see the photographs of his achievement before she died.
The family would like to see as many friends as possible at the funeral, which takes place at St Mary's Church in North Petherton on Friday November 9 at 2pm.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk