A Kesgrave woman who lived nearly all her life in the town and gave 40 years service to Guiding in the area, has died at the age of 93.

Olive Jeavons, who could regularly be seen cycling round the town until her late 80s, was involved with the 1st and 2nd Kesgrave Brownie Packs and was a Brown Owl until she retired from Guiding in 1983.

In 2006, Mrs Jeavons, whose parents bought a plot of land in Kesgrave when it was mainly fields and built the first new bungalow there, was recognised by Kesgrave Town Council with an award for her 40 years service to guiding.

Mrs Jeavons, who was one of five children, attended schools in Rushmere and Kesgrave before winning a scholarship to Felixstowe Grammar School.

After leaving school at 16, just before the start of Second World War, she worked at RW Paul’s on Ipswich Docks before the business was evacuated to Buckinghamshire.

Mrs Jeavons was then called up into the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) and was stationed at Hayling Island where she tracked enemy planes.

While there she met Ron Jeavons who was serving in the Navy and they married in 1945.

After living in the Midlands for seven years they moved back to Main Road, Kesgrave and Mrs Jeavons worked for Securicor Payroll and as a ward clerk on the maternity block at Ipswich Hospital.

She was actively involved with Kesgrave All Saints Church and in her 70s she did a sponsored cycle ride for Parkinson’s following her husband’s death from the disease.

She later became the face of Suffolk County Council’s campaign to promote biking for the elderly.

She was very proud that when Grange Farm was built two roads were named after her family - Shelbourne Close after her parents and Jeavons Lane after her and Ron for their contribution to Kesgrave.

Mrs Jeavons, who leaves daughters Lorraine and Debbie, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, was also the first resident of Gressland Court retirement complex in Kesgrave in 2005.

Her funeral will take place on March 29 at Kesgrave All Saints Church at midday.