Tributes paid to much-loved Chesterfield mum

Tracy Cancellara was a much-loved mum-of-two, fiancée and friend.

The 53-year-old loved cookery and football.

She was born in Chesterfield and lived and worked in the town as a shop assistant at the Clarks shoe store during the 1980s.

Paying tribute to her during an inquest into her death at Chesterfield coroners’ court on Thursday, her fiancé, Chris Turner, said: “She was a brilliant person. We had been together for just over 22 years.

“It is a big loss.

“I miss her every day.”

The inquest heard that Tracy died on March 13 this year after falling backwards down a set of stairs at her home on Mount Castle Street, Chesterfield.

Brave attempts were made to save her by Mr Turner and paramedics using CPR.

Tracy sadly passed away later that day at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Mr Turner paid tribute to the hospital and paramedics who he said arrived ‘within minutes’ of the 999 call.

Tracy had suffered from alcohol problems in the past and she had been drinking heavily that day, a toxicology report confirmed.

A post-mortem concluded that she suffered a serious head injury from the fall.

Mr Turner told the inquest that on the day she died he was in the living room and Tracy was in the kitchen.

He said he had no idea that she had been drinking and that he would normally walk behind her after she had been drinking to stop her falling.

Mr Turner added that later on he tasted what was contained in the mug Tracy had been drinking from and it was ‘pure vodka’ with a ‘spot of orange juice’.

Coroner Peter Nieto recorded the medical cause of death as cranio-cerebral trauma due to a fall due to alcohol intoxication.

Mr Nieto added: “My conclusion is that Tracy’s death was an accident.”