Eileen Rust, Brightlingsea resident for over 50 years, died in hospital on January 2 aged 96, having spent Christmas at home with her family.

From humble beginings she went at Colchester County High School and chose to go into teaching. Having completed teacher training in Derby just after WWII, she started working at a private school in Felixstowe and later in Ipswich. She was popular with the young boarders, who saw her as a surrogate mother, and some pupils remained friends all her life.

She met Eric while working on a farm in the school holidays and following his military service they married and made a home in Felixstowe – which they later had to leave when it was affected following the 1953 floods.

Eric’s job as an engineer with the GPO – now BT – took the family to Bletchley in 1964, where Eileen was approached to establish what was to become the largest pre-school playgroup in the country. She embraced the role and fought hard to gain grants for the new building. She was regarded as a heroine to many young mothers in the new town, for without the playgroup the would have been unable to go out to work.

Eileen was very energetic, often working long into the evening on projects after a day’s work. When the family’s thatched cottage caught fire, she stayed up all night saving valuables, packed the boys off to friends and relatives, then arranged a temporary home before going back to work the next day.

A promotion for Eric saw the family move to Brightlingsea in 1974. A keen sailor, Eric joined Brightlingsea Sailing Club and Eileen got involved when he became a Flag Officer and later Commodore. She had no great love of being on the water but was highly supportive of those that got involved. She put great effort into organising events, particularly the catering side, and enjoyed looking after the cadets.

She had a full-time job as bursar at Colchester Institute and looked after foreign students at Essex university and Clacton teacher training college. A group of Malaysian students particularly liked her and referred to her as “Mom”.

Once she retired she helped to found the toy library in Brightlingsea. Later she became involved in the U3A, where she contributed to local history books – the last of which was published when she was 95.

Eileen and Eric enjoyed many foreign travels, sometimes living ‘off grid’ in an island village with Greek friends.  They also regularly visited her former Malaysian students and became a surrogate grandmother to several of their children.

Married for over 70 years to Eric, who died two years ago, she leaves sons Phil and Mike, six grandchildren – Richard, Jemma, Christopher, Jessica, Hana and Jennie – and two great-grandchildren.