MARGARET Paxton, one of Oxfordshire’s oldest residents, has died aged 102.

Mrs Paxton looked after herself at her home in Forest Side, Kennington, until she was 99, when she moved to the Lady Nuffield care home in Banbury Road.

In 2006, the nursing home resident celebrated her centenary and told the Oxford Mail she had set her sights on making it to 110.

There was consternation at the home when Mrs Paxton almost missed out on a congratulatory card from The Queen on her 100th birthday.

The congratulation card from Her Majesty was sent, but ended up at the home of Chris Chesterman, who lives in Risinghurst, Oxford.

He read a story in the Oxford Mail about the missing card and made sure it was hand delivered the following day.

Mrs Paxton’s niece June Shepherd, from Marsh Baldon, was one of many relatives who celebrated the centenary and said longevity ran in the family, with Mrs Paxton’s three brothers lived into their late 80s or 90s.

Mrs Paxton’s husband Frank, died 11 years before she reached her 100th birthday and the couple did not have any children.

Mrs Paxton moved to Oxford at the age of 70 to be near her sister Ivy’s family after living most of her life in Tonbridge, Kent, where her husband managed a printing press.

A life-long member of the Red Cross, Mrs Paxton dedicated most of her working life to charity, collecting money for the Red Cross, making cakes for patients in hospitals and working for the Women’s Institute.

During the Second World War, she worked in the rations book department at her local council in Kent.

Mrs Shepherd said her aunt was “very caring” towards other people and was also a talented seamstress, making her own clothes.

Although Mrs Paxton’s husband died at the age of 91, he was granted his last wish — to celebrate the couple’s diamond wedding anniversary in 1995.

Mrs Shepherd said: “She died peacefully the day after Easter Monday — there had been no illness at all.

“She lived a very dignified life right up until her death and would put her lipstick and powder on right up until the last day.”

Her funeral is tomorrow (Friday, May 1) at Oxford Crematorium at 1.45pm.