LOYAL Royal British Legion champion Lucy Baker has passed away at the age of 84.

Lucy became an institution around the Kingswinford area in her support of the RBL and was a poppy seller for the organisation for more than 50 years.

Lucy's daughter Jennifer Jukes said: "My mum thought so much of the RBL. Her brothers served in World War Two and my dad Roy, who was an architect in Stourbridge, was in the RAF during his national service.

"Supporting the RBL was just something that generation did."

Lucy was also chairman of the legion's women's section in Kingswinford from 2003 until it was disbanded two months ago purely through lack of numbers.

Apart from her tireless fundraising through poppy appeals, Lucy was also to the fore at the RBL's Spring and Christmas fayres, auctions and jumble sales.

She also featured prominently in Kingswinford RBL's renown entertainment shows where she has appeared as Tina Turner, Elvis and Pavarotti.

Jennifer added: "Lucy threw herself into each performance with great gusto - she was quite a character and should have been on the stage.

"Although she was 84, Lucy was extremely active, young at heart, strong willed and fiercely independent to the very end and her death came as such a great shock to us all.

"She couldn't walk through Kingswinford without stopping to talk to somebody, she was that well known."

Lucy leaves four daughters, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Her funeral will take place on Monday May 20 at St Mary's Church Kingswinford, at 1pm.