Di Lunn, the effervescent chairman of Market Lavington parish council, has lost her battle against cancer at the age of 46.

Mrs Lunn died in Pembroke Unit at Salisbury District Hospital on Sunday, having been diagnosed in January.

She took over as parish council chairman following the resignation of Slater Reynolds in 2008.

Diane Elaine Lunn was born at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in London on March 5 1964. She was educated at St Catherine’s Convent in Twickenham, the Green School in Hounslow and Ashford College.

Always sporty, she was an accomplished gymnast and contortionist.

Proud of her roots, she always supported the Welsh rugby union side in the home internationals. She also managed the Devizes girls rugby team.

She worked in administration in the fashion business.

She met her husband Graham through friends and the couple married at St Mary’s Church in Sunbury on Thames in 1987.

They had two children, Toby, 20 and Abbie, 17. They moved to Market Lavington in 1991 when they set up their company Alphatec.

Mrs Lunn immediately became heavily involved in the community and was elected to the parish council in the mid-1990s.

Her forceful personality ensured she achieved anything on which she set her mind and was hugely popular.

Her funeral will take place on Friday October 15 with a private cremation at West Wiltshire Crematorium, followed by a memorial service at St Mary’s Church in Market Lavington. The time of the service is yet to be finalised.

Donations in her name are invited to the Pembroke Unit Fund at the website www.starsappeal.org