THE son of a community stalwart has expressed how she will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

Lady Ann Hoskyns was a familiar face to many people in the Harwich and Manningtree area, having devoted herself to the community.

Her son, John, said she died from frailty and old age at 87-years-old.

Born in Hackney, Lady Hoskyns moved to Great Oakley in 1958 and, alongside her husband Sir Benedict Hoskyns, quickly became a pillar in the community as they established Harewood GP Surgery in Harwich Road.

John, her youngest of four children, explained her significance in the community.

He said: “She was almost the mother of the village.

“In the surgery she would see all the children and young parents and would be giving advice to them. Having had four children she had the experience.

“She was a justice of the peace. I remember on Tuesdays she would do morning surgery and then head off to the court in Harwich, before returning home to set up for the evening surgery.

“The Great Oakley branch of the Darby and Joan Club for the elderly was also set up by her while living in the village, which subsequently became the Oakstones Club and still runs.

“Those community-based activities were part of her DNA.

“Dad was always on call as a doctor, he worked every day apart from a half day on a Thursday.

“They didn’t have a holiday from 1958 until 1980 when they went to Cornwall.

“They stayed at home and did all these village activities and this was their life, it was a life of service but it’s what they did and they enjoyed it.”

Such was Lady Hoskyns’ prominence in the area, she also enjoyed serving as Manningtree town mayor on two occasions and was a parish councillor in Great Oakley.

John added: “She was a huge support to all of us children throughout all our lives, often saying how proud she was of all of us.

“She was very good fun and could talk the hind legs off a donkey.

“She was lovely to be with and will be greatly missed by all.

“We were extremely grateful for her as a mother.

“For a child it was absolutely wonderful to have this non-judgemental support.

“We all loved her dearly.”