So when she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005 she did what came naturally - she fought.

But after a failed stem cell transplant and chemotherapy treatment, her final battle ended when she died at 4am yesterday. She was 46.

Her family, including parents Ted and Patricia, husband of four years Bill Taylor and brothers Len and Ted, yesterday remembered the woman who they said had always helped people and stood up for what she believed in.

The woman who supported teachers in their strike efforts at Berkeley High School as a pupil and later battled for workers' rights as a South Coast Labour Council delegate and executive of the Australian Services Union (ASU) NSW and ACT branch.

The woman who left school and moved straight into community services, working for other women on organisations such as the Illawarra Women's Health Centre.

Her lifelong friend, ASU state assistant secretary Naomi Arrowsmith, said Mrs McAlear could have worked in any position and made much more money than she did.

"But she chose to work in the field of women's health, community services and helping the disadvantaged," Ms Arrowsmith said.

The McAlear family described Marlene as strong, independent, intelligent and capable.

Ted McAlear, the former Waterside Workers Federation Port Kembla secretary, said his daughter was a "kid to be proud of", someone who "worked for people who in some way were disadvantaged and underprivileged".

The Mercury's archives are full of examples of Mrs McAlear, who spent the final years of her life in Mt Kembla, speaking out when she felt there had been an injustice committed towards women or workers.

In 2003 she wrote a column about the day of workers, May Day, and the importance of comradeship.

"May Day's importance has not diminished - it is still about displaying your collective pride and working class dignity, your international solidarity with all fellow workers," she wrote.

"And again we will move off together behind our unions' banners with our heads held high, a lump in the throat, a tear in the corner of the eye."