Former television presenter Beccy Barr has passed away after battling incurable abdominal cancer at 46 years old, leaving behind a daughter.
Key Takeaways
- Beccy Barr passed away at 46 from incurable abdominal cancer.
- She transitioned from a successful journalism career to becoming a firefighter in 2019.
- Despite her career change, Barr continued her education, pursuing an MSc in Disaster Management at Bournemouth University, which she is set to receive with distinction posthumously.
Her sister announced the sad news through her Instagram page with the caption,
“This morning Beccy passed away peacefully at St John’s Hospice in Lancaster. They offered the most dignified and compassionate care for the last few days of her life. Beccy led an incredible life that I will post about on her account in the near future, along with details of her funeral. For now, I just want to say that I was incredibly blessed to have such an amazing sister.”
“She was a very loved daughter, granddaughter and niece. More than anything, she was a wonderful mother to Hannah.”
Chased A Dream And Made It Happen
Beccy Barr, born in Cambridge in 1977, was the daughter of Michele Pomphrey and Roy Barr and has a sister named Jen Pomphrey.
She received her early education at Bowerham Primary School and Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School.
For her higher education, Beccy earned a degree from the London School of Economics and pursued post-graduate studies in journalism at City University.
Barr was the face of BBC North West Tonight, joining the show in 2013.
Before that, she was employed at the Blackpool Citizen in her early 20s and then moved on to Bloomberg News and CNBC in New York.
Barr left her TV career in 2019 and joined Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, following in her father’s footsteps, who was a firefighter for 20 years.
She changed her profession, stating,
“I still really love being a journalist, but it has been nearly 20 years, and I’m ready for a change and a different challenge.”
Beccy Barr
She was assigned to Red Watch in Blackburn.
While working as a firefighter, Beccy also pursued further education, enrolling in an MSc program at Bournemouth University’s Disaster Management Centre.
A Wonderful Mother
In this challenging time, many are thinking of her young daughter Hannah, who was born in 2011 and is currently 13-year-old.
The brilliant girl is the light of the Barr family, and as her family mentioned, Beccy was the best mother she could ever have.
They were often photographed traveling and swimming together. Hannah was always cheerful whenever her mom was around her.
In Case You Know
- Beccy Barr was a Girlguiding leader in Clerkenwell, Ealing, and Lancaster for many years. Her recent feat was running a Rainbow unit at St. Paul’s in Scotforth.
- Similarly, she was also part of the triathlon community, having participated in Ironman UK and several long-distance athletic events and even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for the Steve Prescott Foundation.
- The funeral will be held at Beetham Hall Crematorium on Wednesday, 7th August, at 11.00 am.
