Margaret Spaven, of Dunnington, dies aged 83 (From York Press)

Margaret Spaven, of Dunnington, dies aged 83

1:19pm Monday 8th February 2010

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A KEEN gardener and musician from North Yorkshire who lived in a range of exotic locations across the world has died aged 83.

When Margaret Spaven, of Dunnington, near York, married her childhood sweetheart, Ian, at the age of 20, she signed up to a life of travelling the world.

Ian worked for the British Colonial Service and together they spent time living in South Africa, Uganda and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, now known as Kiribati and Tuvalu.

It was his posting to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands that challenged Margaret’s resourceful the most.

Their son, Bruce, who was born in South Africa, said: “It was a real desert island. The house was built on Japanese war debris and they had no household goods or furnishings for the first three months because there was only one boat every three months.

“My mother had trouble establishing a garden because the land crabs kept eating the plants and in the end she had to put the flowers in tin cans.

“Her many skills saw her creating tennis nets out of fishing net and improvising menus between the three monthly visit of the supply ship.”

While living abroad, Margaret had various secretarial jobs with banks and hospitals and on their return to England in 1979, she became PA to the financial controller for Shepherd Homes, in York.

She leaves behind her husband, their three children, Bruce, Helen and Amanda, and three grandchildren, Edward, Emily and Amy.

Bruce, of Easingwold, described his mother, who grew up in Whitby, as “an extrovert” who was always “well dressed”, “optimistic” and “jolly”.

He said: “She always managed to have her piano with her wherever she was in the world and produced dramatic and dancing activities for all ages and races.

“She was also a keen gardener and last year, her garden was voted the fourth best in Dunnington in the Village in Bloom competition.

“She didn’t even know her garden had been assessed until she got the certificate.”

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