MIDWIFE Mary Murphy delivered thousands of Huddersfield’s babies over her 26 years as a nurse.

After qualifying in Dewsbury, she worked at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital and later the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

The 81-year-old was a keen bingo fan and played the popular game twice a week at Lindley Liberal Club.

It was shortly after a game of bingo that Mary died from a heart attack.

Son Eamonn paid tribute to the mum-of-three.

He said: “Mum was well respected and regarded with affection by generations of mothers-to-be.

“She was kind, very fair and caring with colleagues and patients alike.

“Her calm and kindly exterior marked a quiet, modest but unwavering inner determination that no problem or challenge was insurmountable.

“She was the sort of woman that believed that there was nothing that couldn’t be achieved by willpower and a ‘have a go attitude’.”

Originally from Ireland, Mary moved to Huddersfield with husband Jim in the 1950s.

The grandmother-of-two lived in Lockwood, Marsh and Lindley.

A dedicated Catholic, Mary went to Lourdes in the 1970s with the Catholic Nurses Guild as part of a pilgrimage.

She was a regular morning attender at Huddersfield St Patrick Roman Catholic Church on New North Road.