Tributes have been paid to school cook Shirley Curnick, who died recently.
Shirley spent over 46 years serving pupils, starting in 1979 as a kitchen assistant at Palmerston Primary School in 1979, then under the auspices of South Glamorgan County Council.
By the time she transferred to Vale of Glamorgan Council in 1996, she has become cook-in-charge at Maes Dyfan School, where she spent 21 years before returning to Palmerston as a kitchen assistant in 2014.
Shirley's 40th anniversary was marked in 2019 with a Shining Star award from the Local Authority Catering Association.
She was also involved in the 'Eat Them to Defeat Them' campaign with the Big Fresh Catering Company, which saw catering teams from schools across the UK create vegetarian dishes.
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, cabinet member for education, said: "Shirley Curnick touched the lives of countless pupils and colleagues over the span of her career."
"Her passion for making a difference shone through in everything she did, from providing nourishing meals to feed thousands of children to supporting national healthy eating initiatives and we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time."
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesperson added: "Shirley took pride in knowing all pupils by name, their likes and dislikes, dietary needs and regularly took part in other school activities - including a trip to watch the Lion King in London."
"With an impressive 46 years of service at the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Big Fresh Catering Company, Shirley was a cherished colleague and will be deeply missed."
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