A BELOVED Knutsford resident, who received an MBE for her services to older people, has died aged 87.

Margaret Timpson MBE died on Thursday December 10 surrounded by six of her eight children after a short battle with illness.

In a fitting tribute to her mother, 66-year-old Mobberley resident Olwen Usher, has said that it was ‘a beautiful end for a beautiful person’.

Margaret, who lived in Southfields, travelled to Buckingham Palace to receive the honour from the Queen just four years ago aged 83 after many years of changing the lives of people around her, including starting a club for the blind.

“She was just a wonderful, giving person,” said Olwen. “Everybody knew her whizzing about on her mobility scooter.

“She was just one of those ordinary people who did a lot for others, and was very unassuming. When she received her MBE she said ‘why me?'.”

Margaret embarked on more than three decades of voluntary work after severe arthritis forced her to leave her job as a cook at Ilford in Mobberley.

Claiming benefits, she felt that she wanted to use the opportunity to give something back to the community.

Among her list of good deeds, Margaret was one of the founding members of a luncheon club at St John’s Wood Community Centre in Longridge, where she would cook for old age pensioners.

She also did a lot of work for the David Lewis Centre in Alderley Edge, which cares for those suffering with severe epilepsy.

As well as having eight children, Margaret was a well-loved grandmother and great-grandmother. Five of her children have remained living in Knutsford and Mobberley and she has one son in Brighton, one in Cornwall and a daughter in New Zealand.

“She was a brilliant gran and great-gran,” said Olwen. “She was always there for us all.”

Margaret was also honoured with Macclesfield’s ‘volunteer of the year’ award, where she was presented with a Rose Bowl.

Her funeral will be held at Brook Street Unitarian Chapel on Wednesday December 23 from 12.45pm and members of the public are invited to pay their respects.