LIFE-long fan of classical music and hospital worker for 40 years, Rosemary Ann Goble of Southbourne, has died aged 78.

Born on May 20, 1937 in Cornelia Hospital on Longfleet Road in Poole, she grew up as an only child who attended Alexandra School in Parkstone and later Uplands School, which was also attended by renowned British primatologist, Jane Goodall.

It was during her private secondary school years that Rosemary, known as Ro to friends and loved ones, took an interest in sports and classical music.

She and some of her friends sold tickets to the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra's concerts in the Winter Gardens in 1954 which Daily Echo reported at the time and credited the girls with keeping the orchestra in business.

During her school years she attended hundreds of their concerts and went on to learn the flute, reaching Grade Eight, under the guidance of Le Monde Cleland from the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra which went on to become the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Along with Ro's friends, they were also secretaries of the Hampshire Youth Orchestra. Le Monde took her to London with him to perform in two concerts at the Royal Festival Hall and advised her that she could become a noted flautist. However, she instead went on to study at Bournemouth Municipal College before taking on a role as a dark room assistant at Poole Hospital and followed her passion for music in her own time.

In April 1968, she won a prize at the Mid-Somerset Festival of Music in Bath.

She also worked as an appliance officer at the former Royal Victoria Hospital in Ashley Road and spent the last 20 years of her career carrying out the same job at Christchurch Hospital.

In recognition of her service, she attended a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace.

She met her husband, Tony, a former NHS inspector, through work in the 1960s and they went on to marry on December 3, 1998, after Tony became a widower. She became a cherished member of Tony's family in her role as a stepmother to Nick, Dan and Andrea and a grandmother to their respective children.

She died on April 13 and her funeral took place on May 5 at Bournemouth Crematorium with donations going to Marie Curie.