Louisa Hillman, widely known as Louie, died peacefully on Monday, April 7, aged 103.

She was closely involved with two Bournemouth churches over the course of her life, with the Guiding movement, and was a great music lover.

Ms Hillman was brought up in Bournemouth and attended Alma Road School in Winton. One of her earliest memories was travelling to the railway station to wave goodbye to her father as he left on the troop train during the First World War – although she said there were so many faces she couldn’t make him out.

Fortunately he returned from the war, and long into her later years she remembered her childhood as a time of great happiness.

She worked for most of her life in bookkeeping and clerical work, acting as a senior personal assistant at printing firm Sutton’s for many years, before she moved to New Zealand with her sister Evelyn.

She fell in love with her new home, with her community in Auckland and at St Andrew’s Church where she worshipped.

It was with mixed feelings that she returned home to England with her sister several years later, but nevertheless she threw herself back into the Bournemouth community with great enthusiasm.

A violinist, she loved music and played and worshipped at the former Congregational Church in Charminster Road. When that closed she moved on to Richmond Hill St Andrew’s United Reformed Church and joined the choir as a contralto.

She sang into her 80s, and until her centenary she attended evening services at the church with her friends Sybil and Pam. Last Christmas when she was unable to attend the church choir visited her for a carol concert.

Much of her spare time was given to the Guides, and as a member of the Trefoil Guild she helped with holidays for disabled Guides at Dudsbury Camp. She never forgot the companionship and satisfaction of giving service to others.

One of her greatest pleasures was writing letters to friends and colleagues, but in her later years her eyesight and hearing became very impaired. Towards the end of last year she suffered a fall and fractured her pelvis.

In spite of this Ms Hillman remained a cheerful and positive person, who said of her life “I’ve been so lucky”. She had no children, but she is remembered fondly by the children and grandchildren of her siblings, who were a great comfort to her in her later years.

She was described as someone who inspired friendship, and was well loved by everybody.