A former regional journalist who later went into PR has died aged just 39 after a battle with cancer.

Former Manchester Evening News journalist Marie King died six days short of her 40th birthday after having intitally being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in April.

Now her family have set up a foundation in her name with the aim of raising awareness of the disease, whose symptoms can be hard-to-spot.

Marie, pictured, worked as a journalist on local and regional titles in Lancashire from 2004 until 2010 before moving into PR.

Her parents, Chris and Mary Burchill, said: “Marie was so special to us, central to our close-knit family and she valued family above all else. We all spent the last six months by her side, heartbroken to see our precious girl suffer this terrible disease.

“We will do all we can to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, in the hope that further research and funding will help others.”

Marie’s sisters, Kate and Elizabeth, added: “We were always so proud to call Marie our big sister and never more so than over the last six months. Throughout her illness Marie showed immense courage, dignity and determination to spend as much time as possible with those she loved.

“We will cherish the many, many wonderful memories we have of our beautiful sister.”

Marie went into journalism after gaining a degree in English at the University of Leicester and a postgraduate diploma in newspaper journalism at the University of Central Lancashire.

Starting out at the Nelson Leader and she joined the MEN’s then parent company MEN Media in 2006, working mainly on the South Manchester Reporter covering Didsbury and later Stockport.

During that time she interviewed the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he visited a Sure Start centre in Withington, in what her family say was one of her proudest moments as a journalist.

She moved into public relations in 2010, first in Altrincham and then in London, after relocating there with her fiancé Rob King whom she married in 2012..

Marie and Rob went on to have three children, Ava, seven, Harry, five, and Margot, one.

Said Rob, said: “Marie was the light and laughter of our family. She was devoted to our children and cherished every moment of being a mummy. Her Manchester accent and warm, loving, unassuming personality lit up the lives of so many.”

Marie’s family have now set up The Marie King Foundation to fundraise in support of work by Pancreatic Cancer UK.  Its first fundraising event will be a 42km sponsored family walk of The Royal Parks in London on 18/19th March 2023.

Rob will also be running the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April 2023 in her memory. Any donations in support can be made to: https://togetherinmemory.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/in-memory/Marie