A WOMAN who spent her life helping others has died at the age of 85.

Jennifer Goodall was born on April 14, 1936, in Exeter, Devon, the only child of Roy and Lorna Bickley.

Her father was a bank clerk, and her mother was a keen badminton player. It was their mutual love of the sport which brought them together.

Her father briefly left the bank to serve in the Second World War and Jenny, as she was known, was evacuated for a period to Ilfracombe.

Jenny had joined the Brownie Guides in Exeter and later joined the Girl Guides.

A move from Seaton to Trowbridge saw her join Second Trowbridge Guides and eventually become the first girl in the district to gain the Queen Guide Award.

She next joined the Sea Rangers in Seend, Wiltshire.

Mrs Goodhall’s hobbies growing up included ballet, tap dancing, tennis, gardening, sewing and milking cows by hand.

She left grammar school at 16 and began nursing training in 1953, aged 17.

During this period, she lived in the nurses home in Southampton, which was next door to a police hostel, where she met future husband Alan, a policeman.

In 1958 she qualified to become a state registered nurse, gaining two prizes that year for her endeavours.

She went on to do specialist midwifery training at Edgware Hospital in London.

Mr and Mrs Goodall tied the knot in 1961, and the following year their son David was born, followed by a second son, Martin, two years later.

The family arrived on the Isle of Wight in 1970, first settling in Cowes before relocating to Wootton in 1984.

Mrs Goodall's Island career began at the Frank James Hospital in East Cowes. She also worked at operating theatres in Ryde, Shanklin and at St Mary’s.

She retired in 1994 at the age of 58 after a 30-plus year career with the NHS.

In retirement, she helped look after her first two grandchildren, Jess and Charlotte, and a few years later did the same with her other two grandchildren, Wes and Sam.

She was president of Creekside WI on three different occasions for a total of six years and served as a member of the WI County Executive.

She arranged flowers at St Edmund's Church and was more recently a member of Wootton Methodist Church.

Mr Goodall died in 2009 and Mrs Goodall remained in Wootton, carrying on with her many social activities, until suffering a stoke in May of this year, with other complications leading to her passing in July.

A funeral was held on August 3 at the IW Crematorium, with a service led by Rev David Plumb from Wootton Methodist Church, and tributes paid by Mrs Goodall's sons.

In true girl guide fashion, she was prepared for this day, choosing the hymn, the reading and the music for the service, while leaving a few notes on her life.

The service was well attended following the recent easing of restrictions, with people present from all aspects of life, including former Girl Guides from the 1970s.

Mrs Goodall leaves behind her sons and grandchildren.