­SHEELAGH Ann Greentree of The Bourne, lover of music, art, gardening and the countryside has passed away at the age of 88.

Born in Hastings, in 1928, Sheelagh claimed she was spoilt as a little girl being initially the only small child in a large extended family on her fathers side.

At the beginning of WWII, she was evacuated with her mother and brother together with the rest of the school to Buckinghamshire.

However they later made their way back to Hastings, where among other things, Sheelagh was made to hide in the porch of a house while a Messerschmitt flew down a street with the machine guns blazing.

Upon gaining her high school matriculation she was eager to go to university and after heated discussions with her father, who wanted her have a safe job in the bank or post office, she was allowed to go to teaching training college at Bishops Otter in Chichester.

After graduating she started her love of travel with a hitchhiking trip around Europe together with friends.

Her first post in teaching brought her to a small school near Godalming, where she taught the infants. She later left Surrey to go and teach at a progressive primary school at Welwyn Garden City where she was also leader for the local Scouts pack.

Returning to Guildford to marry and have her children (David and Christopher) the family returned to her husband’s home town of Farnham and moved into the Boundstone area where Sheelagh helped found the local ‘young wives’ group.

The family were also keen ramblers. Sheelagh was asked to return to teaching in 1963 due to a shortage of teachers at St Peter’s Infants School at Wrecclesham.

A move to become deputy head at Hale Infants School followed a few years later. The high point of her teaching career was becoming the headmistress of the Bourne Infants School which she thoroughly enjoyed for 16 years.

Together with her staff she created a “happy school” where the children wanted to go and learn everyday. During this time she became very involved within the community helping to organise the Bourne Show and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.

Her free time was spent together with her mother tending her garden and traveling around the UK and Europe. She retired in 1990 at the aged of 62 and became more involved in helping the community.

She kept her ties with the Bourne School and continued for numerous years to teach the children to swim in the summer in the school pool. Victoria Gardens, Care-Farnham, The Royal Voluntary Service and the Good Companions in Rowledge all benefited for many years from her seemingly boundless energy.

A replacement hip operation slowed her down slightly, and she complained in 2012 at the age of 84 after a stroke that she not longer had the energy to do all the things she wanted.

However she enjoyed organising coach trips to National Trust properties and stately homes and gardens all around the south of England raising a considerable sum for the National Trust over the years.

And she took part in various U3A activities, arts, calligraphy and especially enjoyed being part of and helping the opera group. Sheelagh will be dearly missed by everyone that knew her.