Dee, who used to sit outside Sainsbury’s

FRIENDS have expressed shock and disbelief after a popular Angel personality known as the “woman always smiling” outside Sainsbury’s died suddenly last week.

Customers of the supermarket in Liverpool Road were seen stopping and wiping away tears yesterday (Thursday) as they stood by a makeshift shrine that has popped up in tribute to a woman most people knew simply as Dee.

A GoFundMe page launched two days ago “to give her the send off she deserves” had already raised more than £1,000 of its £1,300 target as customers of the store flocked to social media to pay their respects.

The page, started by Hayley Mold, says: “As we all got to know Dee over the years with her happy go lucky self and her big smile, we are all shocked to hear of her passing on Friday night.

“As many of you may be aware she does not have any close family to contribute towards her funeral. She was loved by many and we would love to see her have a good send-off.

Remy and Ana at the supermarket

“Angel Islington will not be the same any more without her happy smile. Any help will go a long way and every penny will go towards her funeral costs. RIP Debora. We will try our hardest to give you the send-off you deserve.”

Sainsbury’s workers also spoke of their shock on learning of Dee’s death after describing how she has been a permanent fixture outside their store from dawn till dusk for more years than they could remember.

Recalling her “amazing energy,” Sainsbury’s worker Ana Lema said: “There’s no big smile to greet us in the morning or the little bants that used to get you in the mood. That ‘All right, my day is starting’. She was just a little picker-upper. A little shot of energy. She just made you laugh in the morning. She always had a smile on her face. I feel like that’s what you remember about her – her big-ass smile, and her humour.”

She added: “The last time I saw her was on Thursday morning. I came to work and she was on her step eating sardines and bread. She said ‘I’m not feeling too good’ and I asked what was wrong and she said ‘my back and my chest’ and I said ‘why don’t you go and get checked’ and she said ‘I will in a bit’. That’s the last time I saw her.”

While Dee was of Jamaican descent, it is thought she was born in England and she was known to have children.

According to reports on social media, she is thought to have had a heart attack. A post mortem will be carried out as part of an inquest into her death.

“It’s not going to be the same. No one will be able to replace her. That’s her corner,” said Remy Mikyas, another Sainsbury’s worker.

The workers called for a plaque to be placed at “Dee’s Corner” in memory of her long presence there.

Cleaner Sonia Cunningham said she used to see her every day on her way to work in Angel. She added: “I always pass here and give her a little change to buy something. She always used to say thank you and God bless you. I’ll miss her – I always looked forward to seeing her.”

To contribute to Dee’s funeral go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-dees-funeral