a pillar/tower of strength

pillar of strength

A supportive or emotionally strong person. My aunt has been a pillar of strength for me, helping me through many difficult moments in my life.
See also: of, pillar, strength

tower of strength

Someone who is very dependable and provides a great deal of support or encouragement, especially in times of trouble or difficulty. Mary has been an absolute tower of strength ever since my mother fell ill. My husband has been a tower of strength while I work on my PhD.
See also: of, strength, tower
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pillar of strength

 and pillar of support
someone or something that consistently provides moral, emotional, or financial support as does a pillar. My parents are my pillars of support. John looked to God as his pillar of strength.
See also: of, pillar, strength

tower of strength

Fig. a person who can always be depended on to provide support and encouragement, especially in times of trouble. Mary was a tower of strength when Jean was in the hospital. She looked after her whole family. Jack was a tower of strength during the time that his father was unemployed.
See also: of, strength, tower
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

tower of strength

A dependable person on whom one can lean in time of trouble, as in After Dad died Grandma was a tower of strength for the whole family. This expression, first recorded in 1549, originally was used most often to refer to God and heaven, but Shakespeare had it differently in Richard III (5:3): "Besides, the King's name is a tower of strength."
See also: of, strength, tower
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a tower of strength

or

a pillar of strength

COMMON If someone is a tower of strength or a pillar of strength during a difficult period in your life, they give you a lot of help or support. My eldest daughter was a tower of strength for me when I was sick. In her terrible sadness she has found Charles to be a pillar of strength.
See also: of, strength, tower
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a tower (or pillar) of strength

a person who can be relied upon to be a source of strong support and comfort.
This phrase may come from the Book of Common Prayer: ‘O Lord…be unto them a tower of strength’.
See also: of, strength, tower
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a ˌpillar/ˌtower of ˈstrength

a person who gives you the courage and determination to continue when you are in a bad situation: My wife has been a tower of strength during my illness. During your five years in prison, Terry was a pillar of strength.
See also: of, pillar, strength, tower
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

tower of strength

A reliable, supportive person, dependable especially in time of trouble. In the Bible this image is often reserved for God or, later, for religious faith. In the nineteenth century Tennyson used it for the duke of Wellington: “O fall’n at length that tower of strength” (“Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington,” 1852). It remains current.
See also: of, strength, tower
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • pillar of strength
  • pillar of support
  • come to a climax
  • bring (something) to a climax
  • climax
  • change places with
  • change places with (one)
  • from pillar to post
  • driven
  • pillar-to-post