THE parish church was packed out as mourners paid their respects to a woman whose great passions in life were her family, table tennis and the WI.

Peggy Mytton, who had lived in the same house in Church Lench, near Evesham, with her husband John for more than 50 years died on July 8, aged 77, after a battle bravely fought against cancer.

At a service of thanksgiving at All Saints Church there was standing room only as the vicar, Rev Richard Thorniley, paid tribute to a lady he described as a much-loved member of the community.

Mrs Mytton was born in Childswickham in 1933 to a family of market gardeners who grew asparagus.

“She had very few prejudices in her life, but foreign-grown asparagus was one,” said Mr Thorniley.

Educated at Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Mrs Mytton met her husband John at a band evening at the Lifford Hall, Broadway, and a lifetime of love and partnership began.

The couple had three children, Nick, Mandy and Stefan. Mr Thorniley said the two things that were important to his wife were family and community.

Mrs Mytton was a lady of great joy and passion, he said, and her passion for table tennis was an important part of her life.

The couple built a garage in their garden to house a table tennis table and it became a family affair with all three of their children playing to a high standard. Over the years the couple held many positions in the Evesham and District Table Tennis Assoc-iation and ran coaching courses at the Simon de Montfort School and Wallace House.

A few years ago they clocked up 100 years’ combined service to the local table tennis scene. “Life for Peggy was very much for living,” said Mr Thorniley. Her other big passion was the WI and she was a founder member of Church Lench WI.

“For Peggy giving out to others seemed to come almost naturally,” said Mr Thorniley. “Her memory will long remain with us.”