Tributes have been paid to Jean Houston, who was killed in a crash on Christmas Day last year.

On Monday (November 25), the inquest concluded into the death of Ms Houston, aged 61, who died following the crash on the A338 near Wantage.

She was on her way to a relative's house with her partner of 23 years, Paul Higginson, when the crash happened. 

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Following the inquest, Mr Higginson told us Ms Houston would "light up a room" and was "one of a kind".

"Jean really was such a happy go lucky, bubbly personality," said Mr Higginson. 

Jean HoustonJean Houston (Image: Thames Valley police) He spoke about how she grew up in a large family with a farming background.

"She had to make the best of everything I guess. They all pulled together and that is what shaped her as a person," he said. 

Mr Higginson said she would put everybody else first "no matter what".

"If people had a problem she wouldn’t think about herself she'd try and help them - her work colleagues would tell you the same thing."

Ms Houston resided in East Hanney and worked as an operations manager specialist. Mr Higginson said she had a "good team working for her" and they "all respected her".

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"They did loads of things for charitable causes and she was always at the centre of that," he said. 

"She was a real people person."

Anne Marks, Mr Higginson's sister, said the obituary from her work colleagues at her funeral was "amazing".

"She was always smiling, happy. She's so missed," Ms Marks said. 

Mr Higginson remembered her "very infectious laugh and giggle", which "everybody recognised".

"She just used to cheer people up with it," he said. 

He spoke about her love for children and animals and how she would "always be taking in strays" and looking after them.

Ms Marks remembered how a couple of times, Ms Houston would organise a team from work and go to Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary and help out.

"She was always doing something for animals," said Ms Marks. 

She remembered Ms Houston's thoughtfulness, and said the work colleagues Ms Houston managed all "spoke so highly of her".

"My grandsons adored her, she was always there giggling and joking with them and winding them up," said Ms Marks. 

"The thing I admired most about her was her principles - when she set her mind to something, she did it.

Jean HoustonJean Houston (Image: Contributed) "She would stick to her guns and do it. She was a very very strong individual."

Ms Houston and Mr Higginson met in Abingdon "just by chance" at a pub. 

They both worked in the same industry and Mr Higginson said they "hit it off instantly".

"We both had very similar interests, we just got on very well," he said. 

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Mr Higginson said Ms Houston "really loved Christmas and it was her most favourite time of the year".

Ms Marks added that she was loved by so many people.

"One of the key things that always impressed me about her is that she could sit with anybody, whether it be a CEO or a little boy, and she would engage with them.

"It didn’t matter what walk of life they were from.

"She was just a lovely person."

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