A “loving, caring” vet who “lit up every room she walked into” has been remembered by friends and family.

Heather Gage, 40, was the head veterinary surgeon at the Longwater Vets4Pets branch with colleagues describing the mum-of-one as the “matriarch” of the surgery.

Heather, who lived in Horsford with husband Stew and her son Jenson, was described as “incredibly bright”.

Stew said: “It’s rare to meet anyone so intelligent, so kind and gentle and with a smile that could light up the room.

“I know a lot of people don’t feel like they deserve the person they’re with – but I’ll never know. My first impression of her was that she was absolutely stunning.

“It felt like we were two halves and as a couple we made a whole.”

The pair met 17 years ago, Stew adding: “We had so much fun. We used to go out to Chicago's and dance the night away to cheesy pop.”

The pair married in Las Vegas seven years ago, Stew explained: “It was cheesy, it was just us.

“We had Jenson just under six years ago. She was such a brilliant mother – there wasn’t a stage which wasn’t documented or read-up on. She wasn’t crafty but she was always trying something new.

“When Jenson was about two she cooked up a vat of coloured spaghetti for him to play with. The food colouring rubbed off on him though. I was panicking that I had a blue son and she was as calm as ever. It took a day to come off.”

He added: “I used to make her dinner for when she walked in the door – but it was so rare that it wouldn’t have to be reheated. She was always staying late at the surgery doing a referral for herself, or reading up for a case the next day.”

Heather opened the surgery 11 years ago alongside Angela Savory, head veterinary nurse at the practice.

Angela said: “She lit up every room she walked into. She was so kind and caring, not just with the animals and owners but with our trainee surgeons.

“We had one surgeon move over from Portugal who had to go straight into quarantine. They had nothing, so Heather got them a TV, DVD and loads of films so they didn’t move into an empty room in a shared house and feel even more isolated.

“She was just that kind of person – she was so kind-hearted.”

Heather and her colleagues also remember her for her famous cocktail evening: “My abiding memory of Heather will be the memories of her cocktail evenings. She loved cocktails and 80s and sparkly things.

“She had this amazing pair of sparkly shoes that we were all so envious of – she loved sparkles before they were cool!

“I remember one of our last conversations before she died was that she just wanted to watch her little boy grow up.

“She told me she wanted to enjoy a quieter life, she was so thankful for what she had.”

Stew added: “I went to a weekend with Heather’s university friends recently to celebrate her life. Looking back at the pictures of her then I remembered the woman I met and fell in love with.

“The girl who rocked a pink feather boa and sparkly shoes.

“As I walk around the house now her smile is everywhere. We were always very open with Jenson about what was going to happen and I see a lot of her in him.

“He’s got so much spirit and he’s smart – he told me this week he wants to be a builder chef vet, so he’s going to be a busy guy.

“He’s also got stellar disco dance moves – and I can’t remember ever teaching him them – so it must be genetics.”

Heather died on October 11 and leaves behind her husband and son, as well as a sister and parents who live in Bolton.