TRIBUTES have poured in for Cornwall’s former senior county coroner, Emma Carlyon, who passed away on Thursday, April 24 following a brief illness.

During her two-decade stint as coroner, Dr Carlyon was influential in the modernisation and centralisation of the service in Cornwall. Her family connections to Truro run deep, with a long line of coroners, magistrates, solicitors and councillors.

Dr Carlyon was born in the city in 1963. Both her parents are former mayors; her father was a former coroner, as was his father, grandfather and other family members. Dr Clement Carlyon, a great, great uncle born in 1777, was mayor of Truro five times and was responsible for installing the city’s leats in the fight against cholera, and erecting the memorial to Richard Lander at the top of Lemon Street.

Dr Carlyon worshipped at Truro Methodist Church. Rev Mark Dunn-Wilson described her as “an extraordinarily talented and caring” member of the congregation, and confirmed that Sunday's 11am service had begun in tribute.

“It’s customary that when a member of our flock dies, we mark it in silence and a prayer of thanksgiving,” he said. “Emma was a huge part of our church. She brought some of the older people to church every weekend. She was very popular, and this has come as a huge shock. We miss her.”

Following her retirement as coroner, Dr Carlyon was elected to Chacewater Parish Council, encouraged to stand by chairman Cllr Rob Knill. He said he was “devastated” at her loss, and described her as “a force of nature”.

“She was a superb parish councillor, full stop,” he added. “She had energy, and she understood people. She was always supportive about anything that was good in the village – she organised and judged the cake competitions for the Queen’s jubilee and the King’s coronation, and was integral to the council’s emergency plan, and the new recreation area that is currently going up.

“The best thing about Emma was that she always wanted to do what was right. She wasn’t one for cutting corners. She gave her heart and soul to everything she did, and it was so good to work with her – I learned an awful lot from her. She had a lot to give, and would have given a lot more.

“Emma was coopted onto the council three and a half years ago, and was the first to put her papers in to sit again this time round. I have no doubt she would have succeeded, and even been chair in due course. She offered that sort of commitment, and it’s such a devastating loss.”

Cllr Pauline Giles, chairman of Cornwall Council, said: “I am sorry to hear of the death of Dr Emma Carlyon, who served in the role of Cornwall's senior coroner for more than two decades. Our thoughts at Cornwall Council are with her family and friends.”

Truro City councillor Bert Biscoe said: “Emma used to take great delight in sitting as coroner with a bust of her great grandfather behind her head. Her passing is a massive loss.”