Celebrating the life of Doreen Lake, a former teacher who threw herself into the rural life and became a hands-on farmer's wife.

She died in hospital on January 20, aged 85.

Despite suffering blindness and deafness towards the end of her life, and a stroke, she stayed positive.

Her husband George said: “She always looked on the bright side of life. She was a wonderful wife who could do anything she set her hand to — typing, pottery, crochet, painting, cooking, gardening and, of course, teaching.

“There are many young people around North Devon and further afield who were lucky enough to have met Doreen in school and who now hold jobs of importance.”

Doreen was the eldest of two daughters born in Treharris in Wales. She went to Bangor College in north Wales and gained her teaching certificate.

Her first appointment was at a school in Sheffield and met George during a summer holiday in Beaford.

Their romance lasted for 63 years, yet at first they saw each other only during school holidays, writing to each other every Sunday.

In 1947 Doreen left Sheffield and returned to teach nearer home, then the following year she and George saw an advert for a farm to let near Frithelstock.

Doreen gave up teaching and married George on January 1, 1949, moved in with his family and in the three months before taking on their own farm, Doreen learned all she could about being a farmer’s wife; skills such as killing a chicken, plucking it and drawing it.

They stayed at their rented farm for six years before they were able to buy a farm at Ashreigney.

By this time Doreen had two young daughters - and she also returned to teaching.

George and Doreen’s third daughter arrived on the scene in 1968. Their middle daughter, Nancy, died of breast cancer in 2003.

Doreen was survived by her husband George, daughters Barbara and Janet, and two grand-daughters Sarah and Hannah.