ANN Ducker, who has died aged 71, led South Oxfordshire District Council twice, once in 1995 and from 2003 until her death – making her one of Oxfordshire’s longest serving council leaders.

She joined South Oxfordshire District Council in 1983 and was chairwoman between 1992 and 1994.

She became leader of the Conservative group in 1995, taking over from retiring Bob Haycraft.

The Tories lost control in 1995 leaving the council to a Liberal Democrat, Labour coalition and didn’t regain control until 2003.

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Since then it has remained in control and under Mrs Ducker’s leadership the Conservative group increased its majority and now has 32 out of 48 seats.

During her time as council leader she oversaw sharing of services with Vale of White Horse District Council which has saved more than £5m in employments costs since it was introduced in 2008.

The councils now have a shared chief executive as well as a shared waste team and a shared finance team.

When Henley MP Boris Johnson stood down in 2008 to become Mayor of London she was widely seen as the frontrunner to replace him.

However, the Conservatives opted for county councillor John Howell as their candidate and he was eventually elected.

Elizabeth Ann Kingston was born in Durham on April 16, 1943.

She left Durham in the 1960s to study to be a hairdresser at Phyllis Earle School of Hairdressing in Dover Street, London, where she met Philip Ducker who would become her husband in April 1968.

They remained married until his death in December 2002.

In 1969 the couple moved to Goring where her husband ran the family’s South Stoke farm in Little Stoke, and where, following the birth of her two daughters, she began to become involved in the local community joining the parish council.

She organised the floats for the annual WI event, helped with the Goring Day Centre and joined Goring Tennis Club in the early 1970s.

Tennis was one of her passions and she attended the Wimbledon finals every year.

Professionally, she managed a family pharmaceutical business in London and South Africa until it was sold, along with the farm 11 years ago.

Ann Ducker died on September 21 and is survived by her dauthers, Sarah and Catherine, as well as two grandchildren.

Her funeral was held on Tuesday and a thanksgiving service will be held at Dorchester Abbey on Thursday, November 6 at 11am.

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