TRIBUTES continue to be paid to the widow of murdered shopkeeper Gurmail Singh who sadly died on Tuesday.

Mrs Mohinder Kaur, who was described as a ‘well respected’ and ‘hard working’ woman, passed away at her Huddersfield home after a battle with cancer.

Mrs Kaur, 66, died just one week after her husband’s killers were jailed for life.

Much-loved Mr Singh was murdered trying to defend his Cowcliffe convenience shop from robbers in February.

Friends of the family believe the trauma Mrs Kaur suffered in the wake of her husband’s death caused her health to deteriorate rapidly.

Mrs Kaur, was born in the Jalandhar District, of Punjab, India, like many of Huddersfield’s Sikh community.

She moved to Huddersfield and married Mr Singh in the late 1960s.

The couple had three children Jasmohan, Maninder and Narinder and five grandchildren.

Mrs Kaur worked in textiles and later helped with the family convenience store.

Mohinder had beaten pancreatic cancer three years ago but the disease spread to her bones.

Greenhead councillor and prominent member of Huddersfield’s Sikh community, Mohan Sokhal, has known the Singh family for decades.

Clr Sokhal said: “She was very nice. She was a hard worker, working in the mill and bringing the family up.

“She was very popular among the asian ladies. She was very well respected in the Sikh community.

“The murder has sped up her death. It’s a double blow for the family.”

Clr Sokhal, who moved from Jalandhar District to Huddersfield in 1966, added: “It’s really sad and the community is feeling very sad about them; not just Sikhs but Muslims and other people.”

Manjit Singh, a family friend, expressed sympathy for Mrs Kaur’s family and anger at Gurmail’s killers.

Manjit, 54, of Birkby, said: “I’ve known the family very well since I came to Huddersfield in 1969. Mohinder was getting better before but after that she got worse.

“She was a wonderful lady. She and Gurmail worked hard to raise the family.

“It’s really sad to lose them both. It’s a real blow for the community.”

A funeral service for Mrs Kaur will be held at Springwood Sikh Temple on November 1 at 10.15am.