A LOVING mum who helped others through bereavement has been remembered by hundreds of people on social media after her sudden death on the weekend.

Tracie McGrory was only 400m into Saturday’s Swindon Parkrun at Lydiard Park before she unexpectedly collapsed.

It is understood that two ambulances, a rapid response car and three police units attended the scene at around 9am but despite best efforts, 47-year-old Tracie later died at Great Western Hospital surrounded by her family.

The sad news was shared by the organisers of the Parkrun on Sunday evening who have vowed to commemorate Tracie’s life by holding a minute’s silence at Saturday’s run.

In a statement on Facebook, Tracie’s husband Brian said: “As some of you may already know we are sad to share the news that yesterday Tracie suddenly passed away she was loved by many of you and she will be dearly missed by us as a family.

“I will keep this Facebook site open a while to share details of any arrangements, thank you all so much for your support.”

Friends and family, among many others, have paid tribute to Tracie including Glenn Sedgwick who posted: “Tracie was a wonderful, bubbly lady with an incredibly contagious smile and I know that she was very excited to have started her Swindon Parkrun journey. Condolences go to her husband and her two daughters - she will be missed by all.

“Thoughts, also, to all those who were involved in this very sad incident. Well done to everyone - fellow parkrunners, volunteers, run director, Lydiard Park wardens, emergency services and GWH staff - who showed immense professionalism in dealing with very difficult circumstances.”

Claire Davidson posted: “Tracie was an amazing person who loved her girls and husband very much. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”

Tracie was a popular character at Parkrun but in her job, she worked for the Blue Cross as their pet bereavement support service manager, helping hundreds of families across the town.

Steve Goody, Blue Cross deputy chief executive, said: “Tracie was a well-loved and valued member of the Blue Cross family.

“She had a way of making lifelong friends very quickly and touched so many of our lives with her friendship, kindness and sense of humour.

“A loving and happy person with a sunny personality and a great friend to all who knew her, Tracie was there for everyone, and always the 'go-to' person whenever anyone needed an ear.

“Tracie made a huge impact during her time with Blue Cross as Pet Bereavement Support Service (PBSS) Manager and leaves an amazing legacy. She was passionate about supporting people through bereavement and introduced a PBSS e-learning course which trained up hundreds more people to provide support to those who had lost a pet.

“We will miss Tracie and her passion for Blue Cross terribly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tracie’s family and friends and we will look to offer whatever support we can during this difficult time.”