AGNES Smith was known for her big, joyful laugh.

“People would say they always knew when she was coming – they could hear her long before they saw her,” smiles her daughter Tracey.

“My mum was always cheerful, always chirpy.

“She was a generous person who touched the lives of so many.”

Tracey and her daughter Erin, 12, and son Reece, eight, are remembering Agnes in the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice’s Light Up a Life appeal.

The services take place on Sunday (December 11) and Thursday (December 14) at St Andrew’s Cathedral, and give families the chance to remember a friend or relative who has died.

For Tracey, who lives in Ralston in Paisley, it is the chance to pay tribute to a much-loved mum and gran who spent the last few weeks of her life at the hospice in Carlton Place before her death, aged 76, from cancer.

“The hospice became a second home for us – it is a big, warm, welcoming place - and for that we will always be grateful,” she says.

Agnes, who lived in Pollok, went to see her GP last summer, after developing a sore back.

“She never complained and even though she was retired, she was still working as a home carer with Alzheimer Scotland,” says Tracey.

“My dad Johnny died in 2002 and my mum was never the type of person to sit around with her feet up.

“She wanted to be busy so if she wasn’t working, she’d be looking after her grandkids – my two, Erin and Reece, and their cousins Christopher, Lewis, Darren and Sophie.”

Tracey adds: “We thought her sore back might just be connected to all the work she was doing, and she had had problems in the past too, so we wondered if they had flared up again.”

However, a scan discovered a shadow on Agnes’s liver and she was admitted to hospital for further tests, including an MRI.

“By the time she got the scan she was in severe pain,” recalls Tracey.

“They found five tumours on her liver and it had spread to her spinal cord.”

The devastating diagnosis knocked the family for six, but they rallied together to help Agnes through her treatment at the Beatson Cancer Centre.

“We all mucked in to look after her – we have always been a close family and that’s how we deal with things,” says Tracey, firmly.

“It was hard on all of us, especially the kids, but my mum was amazing. She stayed so positive, for so long.

“We tried our best to make it work, to keep her at home, making sure she was looked after but eventually, it was suggested to us that we speak to the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.”

For Tracey, the idea of a hospice still held many negative connotations.

“I couldn’t get my head round the idea that a hospice wasn’t just a place you went to die,” she says, quietly.

She adds: “But we walked in, and she was instantly at home. I remember her exact words – this is like heaven….”

Agnes settled in quickly and became a popular and well-loved patient at the hospice.

“She used to love her tea in a ‘proper’ china cup, and little quarter sandwiches, so she was over the moon,” laughs Tracey.

“My mum wasn’t a wee old lady – she didn’t act like one or dress like one and she laughed a lot. She was comfortable from the beginning and I think that took the pressure off us too – we knew she was happy.”

She adds: “I think if my mum hadn’t been so positive, so settled here, I would have cracked up.”

Erin and Reece visited too, and despite their sadness at their beloved nana’s illness, have happy memories of spending time with her in the hospice.

“It’s a nice place,” nods Reece.

“My nana was great. She used to pick me up from school on a Wednesday and take me for chips and we’d sit in the cemetery and eat them.

“My nana wasn’t like other nanas, she was the best.”

Erin agrees: “When I was little she used to paint all my nails different colours and we baked cakes together.

“I loved icing them, and she always let us make a mess.”

Tracey laughs: “She spoiled them rotten – she loved Reece’s patter and told everyone he was a wee comedian.

“Why on earth she sat in the cemetery to eat chips I have no idea but Reece loved it.

“She loved all her grandchildren.

“Erin and Reece were great when they came to visit – they never moaned, and they were always happy to be with her.”

Tracey has also benefitted from the hospice’s bereavement counselling service, which she used to help her cope with her mum’s death.

“I’m not the kind of person who talks and talks about things like this so I had to find a way to deal with my grief,” she says, slowly. “I’m still trying to do that, really, as it’s only been a year since my mum died. I think it’s fantastic the hospice offers the service to both adults and children.

“And coming here helps me feel closer to my mum.”

Tracey is full of praise for the staff of the hospice, which is set to move home to a new, purpose-built site in Bellahouston Park in 2018.

“Nothing is ever a problem to them,” she explains.

“When my mum first came in, I would apologise for phoning all the time.

“But they didn’t mind – they were so calm and supportive and completely put my mind at rest about getting in touch.

“There is someone to talk to, whenever you need them.”

Tracey pauses. “Coming to a hospice was something we never imagined doing, as a family, but the care here has been wonderful.

“My mum was right when she said the hospice was like heaven, and the staff were her angels.

“It gave us such comfort and peace of mind to know she was happy here.”