FORMER Mayor of Bournemouth Sheila Elizabeth McQueen died at home on July 6, aged 84.

Born Sheila Ford in New Malden, London, on December 15, 1930, her family lived in poverty, wearing homemade clothes, although she herself enjoyed dressing up and looking smart whenever possible.

In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, she was evacuated to her grandfather's home in Lancing, but a year later she was back in New Malden, sheltering from the Blitz in the family air raid shelter.

She attended Wimbledon County Grammar School, where she was appointed deputy head girl, and later trained as a teacher at Homerton College in Cambridge.

After a year teaching infants in London she moved to Kinson School in Bournemouth. Living in Boscombe, she joined in the local amateur dramatics and dancing groups, and eventually met her future husband Ian, a lawyer.

He proposed after three months of dating and they married 13 months later in August 1957 and moved into a home in Norton Road.

Before long she had four children, three sons and a daughter. She gave up her teaching work to become a full-time mother, but her husband suggested she stand for the council as a part-time job.

Although her father Harold had been a strong socialist, she stood for the Conservatives and won the Moordown North seat in 1967.

Mrs McQueen was a member of Bournemouth Council for 20 years, and spent eight years on Dorset County Council after the 1974 local government reorganisation.

Earning the nickname 'Red Sheila' among some of her colleagues, she was never afraid to go against the party whip, such as when she campaigned to introduce concessionary bus fares for the disabled and senior citizens.

Appointed as mayor in 1982, she represented the council and the town at numerous events within the community and around the country, and during the remainder of her time as a councillor helped manage a variety of housing and building projects, including the Bournemouth International Centre and Littledown Sports Centre.

She served as a council representative on the governing body of St Marks, Talbot Village School, and was also involved with the Samaritans, Townsend School, Bournemouth Area Youth Committee and the Pavilion Theatre.

After her retirement from politics in 1987, she was made an Honorary Alderman.

Mrs McQueen was an enthusiastic bridge player and an accomplished painter, specialising in watercolours.

The family enjoyed regular holidays and after her retirement she and her husband travelled around Europe, writing and painting as they went. In 1990 they bought a second home in Nebian in the south of France, and spent several months there each year.

Mr McQueen suffered a serious stroke in 2007 and was left housebound. He died in 2011. Mrs McQueen was already experiencing problems walking and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years later.

A strong Christian throughout her life, her faith and the support of her family sustained her in her last months.