- Mobile site
- E-Newsletters
-
- News feed
- Find us on Twitter
@yorkpress
Follow us on Twitter
- Find us on Facebook
The Press, York
Like us on Facebook
Community stalwart Violet Armitage dies aged 90 (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
Community stalwart Violet Armitage dies aged 90
9:16am Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News
By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk
Violet Armitage in the St Leonard’s Hospice charity shop in Tang Hall, York, where she had worked as a volunteer for almost 20 years, toasting her 90th birthday earlier this year
THE family of a caring great-grandmother who volunteered for charity up until two days before she died have spoken of how proud they are of her memory.
Violet Armitage, 90, who volunteered at the St Leonard’s Hospice shop in Tang Hall since it opened almost 20 years ago, was shortlisted in The Press Community Pride Awards 2012 and would have learned whether she had won the Volunteer Of The Year Award this Thursday.
She was known for living life to the full and for always thinking of others – requesting that instead of giving her presents on her 90th birthday, people should donate to St Leonard’s Hospice instead.
Despite suffering from pneumonia at Christmas, by February she had bounced back to work two afternoons a week at the shop, her granddaughter, Sarah Willis, said.
Mrs Armitage, who lived in Tang Hall, died from health problems related to old age on October 11.
Pat Coulson, Mrs Armitage’s daughter, said: “She was a lady who was loved by all she met.
“She was loved by her family and the community.
“She was a very lively lady and was full of life and did not like to sit around.
“We are all really proud of her and the fact that she just tried to be as independent as she could for as long as she could.”
She said her mother had really been looking forward to attending the Community Pride awards at York Racecourse on Thursday, which celebrate unsung heroes who go the extra mile to help other people.
Mrs Armitage was born in York and brought up in the Lawrence Street area of the city.
She went on to work at York Printing Works before signing up to the Women’s Royal Air Force during the Second World War and working for bomber command squadrons in Lincolnshire.
After the war she worked in high-end grocers Lund’s at Monkbar and Rowntree’s shop in Pavement.
She married her husband, Harry, in 1948 after meeting him in York and they had their daughter, Pat. Mrs Armitage is survived by three granddaughters and three great-granddaughters.
The family of Mrs Armitage have said they will be attending the Community Pride awards ceremony on her behalf.
