OWSLEBURY is mourning the passing of Mrs Anne Boston who died on October 30 aged 83, having served numerous village organisations including church council, parish council and Red Cross.

She was born in Bristol, but moved to Liverpool as a child.

She met her husband Dick in Australia at the end of WWII when she nursed ex-internees from the Far East.

They moved to Owslebury with their daughters Hilary and Phillipa and soon after she became involved in the dozen or so village organisations operating in the 1950s-60s. "Let's ask Mrs Boston"- and Anne never refused!

The Mrs soon disappeared, and she became Anne to many in a short time. With her no nonsense, down to earth approach to people, she fitted into this tight community like a glove. Committee meetings, suppers, lunches, the Farmhouse and later the Granary became open house for numerous activities.

Anne, an WWII Red Cross VAD attached to the Navy retained a keen interest in the organisation all her life. Every year saw an array of Red Cross tins in her possession and we knew, those of us who were her regular collectors, that Ann would be arriving before long! She was always ready to give lifts to those without transport. "Just a donation for the Red Cross, dear."

She was missed this year at the church fete , unheard of - she was until recently the chief organiser. In the days when the village hall was in great demand and when fundraising dates clashed - along with tempers - she conceived the idea of OMCA The Owslebury and Morestead Community Association. The idea being to co-ordinate all the different groups in the village starting with the Queen's Silver Jubillee in 1977. OMCA proved a success, arrangements made without clashing and village harmony restored. By the Queen's Golden Jubilee although Anne was no longer chairman of OMCA she was very much involved.

Her husband Dick, was a renown organ builder who died some time ago.

She is survived by her daughter Phillipa Conygham, who lives in Owslebury with husband John and daughters Katy and Jo, and her second daughter Hilary who lives in New Zealand with two more grandchildren.

A Service of Thanksgiving is being held in St Andrew's Church, Owslebury this Friday (November 9) at 2.30pm.

Donations to Friends of St Andrew's and Red Cross.