MRS Edith May Hopkins died on October 22, aged 95, one month shy of her 96th birthday, at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

Known to everyone by her childhood nickname Ede, Mrs Hopkins was born Edith Tinker in Holt on November 22, 1919, one of 11 children. She was the last surviving member of her family, after her younger brother died earlier this year.

She attended Holt school and later Adcroft mixed secondary school in Trowbridge before, as the second eldest child, she left school early to help her mother in caring for the family’s youngest children.

This family-orientated habit of kindness and generosity stayed with her for the rest of her life, according to her daughter-in-law Jo Hopkins.

On Boxing Day 1939 she married Percy Hopkins at St Katharine’s Church, Holt.

Before a brief stint living in Bristol, the couple moved to Bradford on Avon. Soon afterwards she took up work at the Spencer Moulton rubber company, which was later taken over by Avon Rubber PLC, working on the trimming line, retiring in 1991.

Mrs Hopkins had a large family of her own, with three children, Terry, Eric and Jean, five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, and she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them.

“She was fair but firm, a strong person,” said her daughter in law Jo. “I will remember her for her generosity and it was very important to her that she was there for people. She never wanted to be a nuisance.”

In her later years, after Mr Hopkins died, she enjoyed day trips to the seaside, sampling fresh fish and chips from Weston-super-Mare as often as possible.

“She loved being by the sea,” said Jo. “Whenever she could take the bus to Bath, then Bristol then Weston to take in the sea air, she would.”

Mrs Hopkins' funeral will take place at Haycombe Crematorium, Bath, on November 9 at 12.15pm. Donations in her memory will be given to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.