Born in Croydon in 1927, Margaret was the eldest of Stanley and Alice Allen's two children. The family moved to Oxted where she and my father grew up. I don't think they were particularly well off but theirs was clearly a loving and happy childhood. Margaret began her 43 year nursing career at Oxted Hospital aged 171/2. At the end of that career she chose to settle in Chichester, moving here in 1987. She had an active retirement, enjoying travel, the theatre, she took an active part in the life of the parish of St Richards and loved socialising with her many friends. Since 2011 she lived at St Joseph's care home in Bognor Regis.

Margaret had a long, successful and diverse nursing career. She worked at Oxted Hospital, The Middlesex, The Royal Homeopathic, WorthingHospital, she was a midwife in Croydon, she was a nurse for Ford at their Dagenham car plant, she worked briefly in the United States, her final job being Matron of King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst. Margaret trained at a time when a nurse's principal treatment was the administration of tender loving care. She was highly professional and had high standards. She and my mother worked together an the Royal Homeopathic and she tells me that when patients came to the operating theatre from Margaret's ward she could be sure they were always properly prepared and would receive the best possible post operative care when they returned there. Margaret tempered her high standards with a gentle, self-deprecating sense of humour and was loved and respected by patients and colleagues at all levels. In 1977 She received the Silver Jubilee Medal, an award from the Queen in recognition of community service.

Margaret was very sociable and made many firm friends, whom she was very good at staying in touch with. We have received condolences from people she has been friends with for 40, 50, 60 years and more and she is much missed. She loved entertaining and liked nothing more than sharing supper with friends supper before an evening at the Festival Theatre. She was a generous hostess and modest, discussion was rarely about her as she was more interested in her guests. I have reason to be very grateful for my aunt's sociable nature as it was she who introduced my parents, at a party she and Mum had organised to "liven up the nurses home" at the Royal Homeopathic.

Margaret was very well travelled, when I was at university it often seemed Margaret was making up for the fact that I hadn't spent a gap year travelling - I would receive postcards from Red Square, the Great Wall of China, from the Grand Canyon and Machu Pechu. Throughout her life Margaret travelled far and wide, often visiting places before they were popular tourist destinations. When Vicki and I married in London ten years ago we decided to have a second celebration in New Zealand to share with her family there - Margaret didn't hesitate to join us, she and her cousin Del travelling to the other side of the world, wholeheartedly joining in the celebrations and making new friends there.

Her family was very important to Margaret, she was close to her brother and devoted much time to caring for her mother in her later years. Margaret was the most marvellous aunt. It is a shame she never had children as she had so much love to give. She gave it instead to myself and my sister Clare, then more lately to my children, whom she spoiled in every respect. She was immensely proud of us and our achievements, supportive of our endeavours and kindly blind to our faults.

Alas much of Margaret's essence was gradually taken from us and her in the 4 years before she died by Alzheimer's, a dreadful disease that had already affected her greatly as she had cared for her own mother who suffered from it for over a decade. In essence Margaret remained the same friendly, caring, contented person she had always been. We are grateful to the nuns and staff at St Josephs in Bognor for giving her a safe and comfortable home where she was contented, and cared for, allowing her to retain her dignity and self respect - care of the sort she had given to so many throughout her life.

Margret was a very special person. She was kind, gentle, generous, compassionate and unassuming. She touched people and it is not just her family who miss her. She gave her love freely and would have hated us to be sad at her passing. Margaret had no fear of death, nor should she have done. She died peacefully and in a state of grace. Several years ago I asked her if she had given any thought to her funeral, "oh yes" she replied, smiling contentedly "I've picked all the hymns, and I like to think of you singing them". She wanted us to remember her joyously and I hope those who knew her will all keep the many happy memories she left us with dear in our hearts.