Former Oxford Lady Mayoress Margaret Buckingham has died of pneumonia at the age of 87.

The wife of long-serving Labour councillor Bill Buckingham, she was a well known member of the Rose Hill community.

Born in Camberwell, South East London, on October 10, 1923, she was one of three girls.

When the Second World War broke out, she and her sister Flo played their part in the war effort by working in a factory where they repaired radiators for damaged military vehicles.

She met her future husband while on holiday in Aylesbury.

They married in 1943 and moved to Headington in 1947 when he left the army, after serving in Egypt.

Later the couple moved to Rose Hill, where they settled, and had three children.

Mrs Buckingham worked as a night nurse at the Littlemore hospital, then as a home help before retiring at the age of 65.

But it was for her work in the Rose Hill community that she was best known.

When Mr Buckingham became Lord Mayor in 1994, the mum-of-three threw herself into civic life, attending events and supporting her husband.

Their son Nigel said: “It was a role she enjoyed very much.”

He added: “She split that year between her daughters-in-law so that they could also go to some of the functions in her place because she wanted them to find out what a function like that was like.”

Mrs Buckingham was also known for her support of the Rose Hill community centre.

An active member for many years, she was particularly involved in the rebuilding of the centre, through which she made many friends.

Mrs Buckingham died at a care home on September 22.

She is survived by her husband, children Nigel, Terry and Jennifer, grandchildren Nick, Sally, James and Jonath-an and great-grandson William.