Betty Roberts

They came to pay their last respects to an extraordinary woman who died aged 80 after a life devoted to serving the community.

Mrs Roberts was born in Sri Lanka in 1922, the second of four children.

She was educated at Downe House School, Thatcham, before returning to Sri Lanka during the Second World War where she worked as a secretary for the Dutch Navy.

In 1945, she married Major Michael Roberts, an officer in the Ghurkha Rifles and spent much of the next 19 years in India, Malaya and Hong Kong.

The couple settled in Islip in 1966 and Mrs Roberts embarked on a political career.

She joined what was then the Liberal Party in the 1970s and was elected to Cherwell District Council in 1982 as member for Otmoor, serving for 16 years until she stepped down in 1998.

Her long term of office was testament to her hard work and strong personal support from the people of Otmoor who appreciated her interest in their problems. She always put the interests of others before herself.

She served as a county councillor from 1993-1997 and represented the councils on many outside committees, including the community health council, Iffley Mead School's board of governors and the Oxford Preservation Trust.

Mrs Roberts served for 27 years on Islip Parish Council, set up the Thursday Club for village pensioners and became a governor of Dr South's Primary School.

She only retired as chairman of the parish council last year and worked part-time for the Childhood Cancer Research Group for 28 years, leaving due to ill health a few months ago. She also supported charities, including Oxfam and Age Concern.

Friend and former political colleague Robert Brown said: "Betty was respected by all and loved by many as a friend, adviser or colleague. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her."

She leaves four children and eight grandchildren.