A grieving boyfriend has paid tribute to his “crazy” partner who collapsed and died in front of him at the home they shared.

Chris Dredge and Katie Whistler, who were a couple for five years, were about to go to bed after looking at brochures for new flats when Miss Whistler, 26, said she didn’t feel right.

Those were the last words she said and, as Mr Dredge struggles to come to terms with his loss, he has spoken about how his girlfriend always lived life to the full.

The 31-year-old, who lived with Miss Whistler in Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, said: “She would give her time to everyone.

It didn’t take long for her to make friends with people she met. So many people have come forward to give their condolences.

“She was a very passionate person. If she cared about something, she really cared about it.

“She always wanted to do something, fight a cause, try something new. If she saw someone making clothes, for example, she would say, right I’m going to make my own clothes. And she would. Every day she came up with a new, crazy idea.”

An animal lover, Miss Whistler completed a course in animal care at Hadlow College and volunteered at the Big Cat Sanctuary at Smarden.

She gained a reputation for taking in animals which needed a home, including cats, snakes and other reptiles.

She was also known by the aliases Saudia Blackthorn, which was going to be her pen name for a science fiction fantasy book she was writing, and Pinky, due to her brightly coloured hair.

Miss Whistler, who died on April 5, had numerous tattoos including a tiger and the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future, which she had done on October 21 last year, the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrived in the future in the films.

Miss Whistler leaves parents Rachel and Mark and siblings Simon, Hilary and Charlotte.

Natalie Wilson, manager at Eastfield care home, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, where Miss Whistler worked as a care assistant and chef for four years, described her colleague as a ray of sunshine who always went the extra mile for her clients.

She said: “It’s like a light has gone out here. She was so colourful, vibrant and enthusiastic about life and she enriched everybody’s lives. She’s somebody you’ll never forget.”

Friend Adam Topley, who plays in metal band Spawn of Psychosis with Mr Dredge, said: “I’ll always remember her as the completely mad person she was.

“She could talk for England, she was so confident and she would walk into a room full of strangers and just say: ‘Hi, my name’s Katie.’ She was the most bubbly and friendly person you could ever meet.”

Her funeral was held at Vinters Park Crematorium on Wednesday, April 20, and was well attended as mourners paid their respects.

A coroner’s investigation is still being carried out to determine why Miss Whistler died.

Donations can be made in Katie Whistler’s name to The Neuro Foundation as she suffered from neurofibromatosis (NF), which affects the skin and nervous system.