Tribute to Stowmarket mum Annie Thompson after crash death

Anneka Lee Thompson was, in the words of her mother, Linda Thompson, happy, caring and devoted to her family. A mental health advocate, she had devoted her life to caring for others.

Annie, as she was known to her friends and family, died at the age of 35 in Addenbrookes Hospital on September 29 last year.

Six weeks previously, she had been involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle on the A1088, near Euston.

Speaking at Ms Thompson’s inquest, assistant coroner Peter Taheri said that Ms Thompson would not have had time to react when an Audi A4 driving in the opposite direction entered her side of the road.

He delivered a conclusion of unlawful killing.

Annie Thompson was a fiercely caring person, her family said. Image: Becky Thompson (Image: Becky Thompson)

Annie’s mother, Linda Thompson, paid tribute to her daughter, who she described as “happy, family-orientated, social, outgoing, caring, and loved by many”.

She said that Annie had enjoyed going for walks, spending time with her friends, and spending time with her family during caravan holidays.

At the time of the collision, Annie and her two children were on their way back from a camping holiday with the family dog.

Annie’s sister, Becky Thompson, and her uncle, Steven Waring, said that they would miss her laughter.

They described the mum-of-two having a wicked sense of humour and could always be relied upon to lighten serious situations with a smile.

She also had a fiercely caring nature, which shone through in all aspects of her life.

“Every job she ever worked was about caring for others,” said Ms Thompson “Everything was always about the kindness and care which she showed other people. She'd do anything for anyone - she's give you her last pound if she could."

When she left school, Annie had first worked in childcare. Following this, she retrained and became a mental health advocate.

This work suited Annie’s kind and empathetic nature perfectly, said her sister.

Annie would be the first point of contact for many people in the community who were struggling with their mental health.

“She could always find ways of adapting, to support them,” said Ms Thompson. Annie had also wanted to work with the police but found that the shift patterns were difficult to balance with a young family, and so returned to her work in mental health.

Annie’s death has, said Mr Waring, left a huge impact on her whole family. Her smile, he said, was guaranteed to lift spirits, even in the most serious or sad situations.