My friend Clare Lindop, who has died of a rare lung cancer aged 45, was a wise, fun and caring person who made a lasting contribution to our local community in north London.

After moving to Cockfosters, near Enfield, in 2013, Clare was appalled that walking her children to school involved dodging cars on the busy four-lane Bramley Road. With Naomi, the eldest of the three, she campaigned for a pedestrian crossing – using hand-drawn leaflets, social media and old fashioned lobbying – with the result that Enfield borough council installed a crossing in summer 2018.

Clare was a governor of De Bohun primary school, adding clarity and empathy as the governing body steered the school from a difficult period to one of stability and success. At the time of her diagnosis Clare was chair of the governors.

Born in Rugby, then brought up in Cubbington, Warwickshire, Clare was the eldest child of Kate (nee Collier), a teacher, and John Evison, an engineer, and she shared a happy childhood with her siblings, Rosalyn and Will. It was said that Clare’s effortless style as a teenager meant she looked cool even while driving her brown Lada Riva in a McDonald’s uniform.

After a degree in French at Sheffield University, which included a year in Normandy that inspired her love of the region and Calvados, Clare took a job in the travel industry. Her aptitude saw her promoted to leadership roles while she was still in her 20s. Through work, Clare met Malcolm Lindop, whom she married in 2003. They went on to have two daughters, Naomi and Charlotte, and a son, Danny.

In 2010 Clare moved into public sector work, relishing the challenge of implementing the Equalities Act across the activities of Islington borough council. She then took roles in health and social care planning in Islington, working to enable better communication between practitioners across both sectors. From 2017 Clare was employed by the NHS in north London, working on projects planning personal healthcare budgets and latterly GP recruitment and retention.

Clare and Malcolm forged a remarkable partnership. She managed her brief but devastating illness with the clear-headed preparation and emotional insight that had typified her life.

She is survived by Malcolm, their children, her parents and siblings.