Marilyn Cowley. INSET: Husband John who died recently of Prostate cancer.SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Marilyn Cowley has just said her last goodbye to husband John when he died of prostate cancer. But she said she wouldn't have got through it without the support of Macmillan nurses. ALEX EMERY reports

John Cowley lost his battle against cancer two weeks ago but that is not stopping his wife from raising money to help other sufferers.

Marilyn, 54, of Rawston Close, Nythe, says she wouldn't have got through John's illness without the help of Macmillan nurses.

More than 120 friends and family attended John's funeral at Kings-down Crematorium on Friday, and they all made donations to the charity.

Marilyn, a former Halifax customer services advisor, said: "I was absolutely staggered at the amount of people who turned up. It meant so much to me to see so many there.

"It was raining but that didn't stop people standing outside the crematorium. Everyone has their own memories, and it really is lovely to hear about them all."

John, who was 63 when he died on May 29 at the Prospect Hospice, first thought something was wrong five years ago.

Marilyn said: "He started needing to go to the toilet more frequently during the night and decided to go for a check-up.

"That led to a biopsy and they found he had prostate cancer.

"He never really accepted it. We were all devastated because it had come as such a shock. There weren't any telltale lumps or bumps.

"That's where the Macmillan nurses and Prospect Hospice were a Godsend. They helped us understand what it all meant."

Macmillan nurse Ann Yates cared for John and his family for four years.

"She was wonderful," Marilyn said. "John felt he could talk to her about anything and everything and she helped put his mind at rest."

John took early retirement from his job as an instrument technician at Alpha Technologies, in Dorcan, five years ago.

Although his illness gradually made walking harder, he was well enough to watch his beloved Swin-don Town romp their way to victory in a 5-0 home thriller against Notts County recently.

Marilyn said: "He has always had a season ticket for Swindon. He was absolutely delighted to go to that match.

"John was a real family man who would have done anything for anybody.

"Everyone thought so much of him which was clear by the people at his funeral."

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