MUCH loved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother Eileen Underwood was remembered by friends and family on Friday when her funeral was held at West Wiltshire Crematorium.

Mrs Underwood, who was a stalwart of The Crown Centre, Devizes, died on January 20 aged 81 after a short illness.

She had inherited the neurological conditions Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which affects nerve endings in the arms and legs leading to a loss of sensation.

Her son, Simon, said: "This had an impact on day to day life with many simple tasks that many of take for granted such as picking things up and walking.

"It also gives nerve pain and fatigue but Eileen never complained about it she just got on with it and stayed as independent as she could until last December when she went into hospital. She didn't pass away because of this condition, she was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

"Eileen was a very active member of the local community and over the years has been involved in the Operatic Society, Twinning Association, to name two and took in various German youngsters, one of whom, Rainer stayed in touch and came over to attend the funeral.

"For the last 20 years Eileen volunteered at The Crown Centre and thoroughly enjoyed her time there with Sam the manager and the other helpers as she called them.

"Eileen will be greatly missed by her family and friends but her legacy will live on."

Family and friends were joined by residents of Stanford Court, Devizes, where Mrs Underwood lived with her husband Bill also a stalwart of the Devizes community. She was born in Melksham in 1935 to Bert and Mary Clark and attended schools in Melksham and Trowbridge.

She met Bill at a dance at a community centre where he was taking the entrance money and she thought him handsome and very nice.

They married on February 8, 1956, and lived many years in West View Crescent before moving to Stanford Court in 1997.

They had three sons, David, Matthew and Simon, David passed away in 2002, and seven grandchildren and three great grand children.