A senior nursing figure who cared for thousands of patients in her role as matron of two former hospitals in York has died aged 89.

Mary Snowball, who was a popular resident of St Olave's Nursing Home, York, since moving there in 1984, dedicated her life to nursing. She died in York District Hospital.

Miss Snowball, a former Barnardos child, never married in order to continue with her nursing qualifications.

She spent most of her long career as a nurse in the RAF, and served overseas before settling in York and spending 18 years at St Mary's Hospital.

For part of this time she served as matron at both St Mary's Hospital and City Hospital.

At her retirement in 1973 she told colleagues and friends it was important for hospital staff never to forget they were all working for the benefit of the patients.

Sue Barnard, matron of St Olaves Nursing Home, said: "She will be very fondly missed by a lot of friends and all the staff here because we became her family.

"Her brother died a couple of years ago and he used to visit her quite regularly.

"She never married because if you got married in those days you had to stop your training. She would have been 90 on July 5 and all the nurses of that era who made nursing a career were unmarried.

"Her older colleagues used to visit her so she was well-supported and well thought of.

"Sometimes I remember her going round taking pulses of other residents. She used to stroke people's hair or their hands to comfort them. She was very caring."

Updated: 11:04 Wednesday, June 20, 2001