A WOMAN born in Kidderminster who loved to travel has died in America and will make her final journey to be buried at her favourite holiday destination, Bermuda.

Robina Akin, 66, died on Sunday, March 2 in New Hampshire - where she had lived for the past 21 years with husband Bill Akin - following a six-week battle with cancer. Mrs Akin had been visiting UK relatives over Christmas before falling ill.

A private service was held for Mrs Akin, who was cremated and will be buried in Bermuda, where she and Mr Akin had holidayed and visited friends over 15 years. She had requested any donations to be given to Cancer Research UK or Kidderminster-based Kemp Hospice.

Paying tribute from the couple's US home in Somersworth, New Hampshire, Mr Akin said: "It was all fairly sudden. We came back from Kidderminster, where we had spent three weeks for Christmas and she was not feeling well. We got back and she went straight to the doctor and hospital and it turned out she had cancer and two months to live.

"It was an awful shock for everyone because it was so quick. We got back December 30 and March 2 she died."

As well as Mr Akin, Mrs Akin leaves behind brother Robert Welch, sister Rachael, brother-in-law Brian Akin and nieces and nephews. She was born in Kidderminster and attended the former Sladen Church of England School in the town and worked at RAF Hartlebury, RAF Stafford and then as a clerk for a Worcester pensions firm.

Mrs Akin loved travelling and while visiting St Lucia in 1990 she met Mr Akin, who was holidaying in the country "on a whim" after his boss at the time had told him to "take a vacation or you'll lose your holiday entitlement". They fell in love then, in 1991 married in 90 degree F (32 C) heat on a beach in St Lucia.

Mr Akin said his late wife was a big folk music fan and when she lived in Kidderminster often attended the Lock Inn, Wolverley Road, to listen to bands playing there. He added: "She liked to go out and be with people".

As well as Bermuda, the couple had travelled to Majorca, Jamaica and throughout the United States and Canada and, according to Mr Akin "had a lot of friends around the world".

He said she had returned to Kidderminster several times during the last 21 years to visit family members and many relatives had travelled to see her in America.

"After 22 years of marriage, I cannot think of one thing I did not like about her," he added.