TRIBUTES have been paid to a “spectacular” woman who helped raise more than £175,000 for charity.

Elizabeth Cox, 84, died on June 24, leaving behind a legacy of creating the iconic Christmas cards for the charity William’s Fund.

The cards, which have been sold around the world, have helped raised the staggering amount to aid research into childhood cancer.

The 84-year-old started creating the cards when her grandson William died from cancer at the age of four.

Mrs Cox’s daughter, and founder of William’s Fund, Johanna Dodd said her mother was a “wonderful woman” who always put her sense of humour into the cards.

Johanna said: “Everybody loved her, she was such a wonderful, caring woman, her and dad became really well known in the area.

“She loved coming up with the ideas for the cards, and each one had a little family in joke, which only we would understand.

“Mum was so dedicated to the cards she even finished this year’s card three months before she passed away.”

Born on October 31, 1931, Elizabeth grew up in Wembley, London, where she met the love of her life Ron.

The pair got married in 1955 and went on to have three children.

The pair relocated to Basingstoke in 1961, living in Old Basing when a number of years later they set up Time and Precision Engineering Limited where Elizabeth took on the role of bookkeeper and company secretary.

Known for throwing extravagant parties in Old Basing, Elizabeth and Ron Cox became an integral part of the community.

Ron, also 84, told The Gazette: “She was the love of my life and just an absolutely spectacular woman.

“She was extremely popular with everyone she met, but the Christmas cards are her legacy. We’ve had people from all across the world write to us saying that they have collected e v ery single one of Elizabeth's designs.”

Elizabeth had a brain tumour removed in 2007 and also battled breast cancer in 2009, but the couple continued to do the things they loved, such as painting and going on cruises.

The cancer returned in 2015 and for the last year of her life she returned to the couple’s home in Milkingpen Lane.