The funeral of a great-grandmother and former Petersfield town councillor will take place next week.

Petersfield Town Council has expressed its sympathies to the family of Ruth Morrish as the 93-year-old died peacefully at a nursing home in Liss on May 6.

Ruth’s parents, Squadron Leader Fred Bridger and Violet, met while the latter was in service to the Guinness family at Pyfort Court in Farnham. Both families came from Petersfield and Fred’s family owned the former Green Dragon pub on Dragon Street.

Ruth spent her early years in Egypt and Scotland due to RAF postings before the family returned to Petersfield and lived on Bell Hill on Fred’s retirement.

She studied at Farnham Art college and started a secretarial career working for the RAF in London, where she met and married her future husband Claude Morrish.

His family, by chance, lived just a few doors away while his father Francis owned a local dairy business and a shop in Chapel Street.

The newlyweds moved to Sittingbourne when Claude qualified as a GP but sadly the marriage didn’t last and Ruth returned to Bell Hill following a divorce before later moving to Grenehurst Way.

A love of politics led her to stand for the town council in the early 1990s and she worked as a manager at St Peter’s Court in retirement age.

The town council are deeply saddened to hear of her passing and have extended their heartfelt condolences to her family and close friends.

The council said: “She was a dedicated former town councilllor, whose service to our community, commitment and efforts helped shape our town for the better.”

Ruth is survived by her brother, three children, five grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Her funeral will be held at St Lawrence’s Petersfield at 11.30am next Tuesday (June 24). Donations to Dementia UK.