The last words of a former London Underground train driver who fought cancer for 11 years were, "I'm happy now and I'm going to get off at the next stop."

Robert "Bobby" Goodwins, 57, died at home in Morden surrounded by friends and family on February 26.

Two days after his funeral, on March 16 Mr Goodwins' sister-in-law, Patricia Brookman, raised £450 walking 14 miles for The Royal Marsden cancer hospital.

His wife Sharon, said: "I'm so proud of her. She would drive round at any time of the day and night whenever we needed her."

Ms Brookman, who works ten hour shifts each day as a nursery assistant at St Mary’s School in Carshalton, always made time to care for her terminally ill brother-in-law.

Mrs Goodwins said: "Bobby was a black cabbie driver. He had lots of friends and used to drive an underground train for 36 years.

"He knew he was going but you just don't think it will happen. He kept being so positive, he was going to fight it."

Mrs Goodwins and her son Leo, 12, hosted a packed funeral at Merton and Sutton joint cemetery in Garth Road on March 14.

Bobby's Girl and songs from Mr Goodwin's Katherine Jenkins CD, I'll Always Love You and The Angel were played during the ceremony.

Mrs Goodwins said: "He got cancer of the oesophagus 11 years ago when his son was born.

"He had to stop working. He had a major operation and they managed to get rid of the cancer but it kept coming back.

"Right up until the end he would not let anyone do anything for him. I nursed him as much as I could and the nurses at Macmillan were lovely."

Mr Goodwins was treated at The Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton and St Helier Hospital.

Mrs Goodwins said: "It was amazing how many people came to the funeral. The whole day was fantastic. Robert would have been so proud."