A 'GREATLY missed' former artist, dancer, and teamwork consultant was found dead by a neighbour at her home in Grasmere after taking her own life, an inquest has heard.

Melissa Harwood, 76, was found at her home on Easedale Road, Grasmere on July 2, 2024 after a postman alerted a retired GP who lived across the road to a concerning note she had left on the door to her house.

In a statement read to Cockermouth Coroner’s Court, Dr Robert Ashworth said the postman delivered his mail at around 1.50pm that day, only to return five minutes later to report the troubling note, which read: 'I am in the garage, don’t open it, let the police know'.

He said he 'suspected she may have done something to herself'.

Dr Ashworth went to Mrs Harwood's house to investigate, found the garage door unlocked, discovered Mrs Harwood's body, and called the police.

He said that he 'knew her health was declining due to cancer'.

Mrs Harwood, originally from Los Angeles, California, had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her bones.

A statement submitted by one of her two stepchildren, Matthew, said that she 'suffered greatly with her bone cancer, which caused her a huge amount of pain and discomfort'.

A neighbour and friend, Carrie Chambers, submitted a statement that said she saw Mrs Harwood every day during the summer, and used to 'check in on each other', as she knew Mrs Harwood lived on her own.

Mrs Harwood's husband, Laurence Harwood OBE, passed away in November 2020.

He had been the regional director of the National Trust, as well as holding several other prominent positions throughout Cumbria, and was awarded an OBE for his conservation work in 1996.

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The couple married after Mrs Harwood moved to Cumbria in the early 1990s.

Ms Chambers said that she had seen her the previous evening and 'looked in a world of her own'.

She said the Mrs Harwood was 'usually a very sociable person', but seemed withdrawn in the last few weeks of her life.

She reflected on their conversations in the last two weeks, saying Mrs Harwood had said things like: "I've had such a wonderful life, and I've travelled the world".

Paramedics arrived and confirmed Mrs Harwood’s death at 3.16pm.

Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Mr Robert Cohen, said that a toxicology report showed nothing of significance, and a post-mortem examination offered a cause of death of haemorrhage, due to self-inflicted wounds.

Mr Cohen accepted the cause of death, and concluded on the basis of the evidence, including a letter that Mrs Harwood had left in her house, that her death was one of suicide.

He said: "I am struck by the evidence from Melissa’s neighbours and her stepson as to her life and how much of a member of the community she was.

"I can entirely understand that she must be greatly missed.

"I send to all those who loved her my profound and sincere condolences."

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