ST. Columba's Episcopal Church in Largs was filled to capacity for the funeral service of Dorothy Bailey who had a love of life and people (writes Drew Cochrane).
In her 91st year Dorothy still participated in and attended all sorts of theatre for which she had a passion, being closely involved in Skelmorlie Attic Players drama club since the 70s.
The Rev. Gordon Fyfe told the congregation that they were celebrating a special life as Dorothy was so well-known and loved in the community. Her spiritual home was at St Columba's.
Her two grandsons, Thomas and James Rowlands gave emotional readings of two poems, 'February', and 'Her Journey's Just Begun' while her fellow members of the Clydeside Singers sung one of her favourites, 'Highland Cathedral.'
Dorothy was born in Manchester in 1926, the eldest of six children at a time when life for a big family was not easy.
With some of her brothers she was evacuated to Market Drayton at the start of the war but returned home in 1940 to work as a shorthand typist.
She met her soldier husband Stanley while ice-skating and after the war they married at Old Trafford in '49.
For many years they lived and worked in London, Dorothy as a receptionist in the newspaper area of Fleet Street. Their only child, Ann, was born in '55 and they built a house in Surrey where Dorothy worked for a new helicopter company, Bristows.
When Stanley moved to Scotland with his employers, McAlpines, in '68 they bought a house in Skelmorlie. It was supposed to be for three years but they stayed for almost half-a-century.
Dorothy undertook university studies to become a social worker in Inverclyde for 20 years but became an active, enthusiastic member of many organisations in the Largs area, particularly the Attic Players for whom she acted and officiated.
In a eulogy, her son-in-law David Rowlands said that in retirement she joined more organisations and became a talented painter and embroiderer, was at the heart of her community and active till the end.
Her best friend, Jo Haythornthwaite, regaled the congregation with amusing tales of her travels across Europe with Dorothy and their frequent trips to theatre of every kind.
Collections were taken for Marie Cure Cancer Care and the British Heart Foundation. A committal service was conducted by Rev. Fyfe at Brisbane Glen Cemetery.