'˜Everybody knew her and everybody loved her': Tributes to ex-councillor

Jackie Phipps served as an Aylesbury Vale district councillor for Marsh Gibbon, which includes Twyford, for more than 30 years.

She worked at the village shop before moving from Twyford to Sussex to be closer to her children, Stephen and Catherine, and her grandchildren.

Close friend Janet Jennings, whom she met in Twyford before going on a number of holidays together, said: “We had some great laughs.

“She was a great traveller and a very brave lady.

“When she travelled around the world she met lots of friends.

“She was such a good sport and a really lovely lady.

“It came as such a great shock.

“She had only just come back from Borneo – she was fit as a fiddle.

“Everybody knew her and everybody loved her.”

Jackie was part of the Women’s Institute.

She was also a member of Plonkers, Twyford’s wine club, and Twigs, the village gardening club.

She loved to travel and enjoyed holidays to Zimbabwe and China with Janet.

She spent part of her childhood in Malaysia and when her parents remained there she came to England to study and stay with her aunt, who was like a ‘second mother to her’.

For her 60th birthday, she travelled around the world on her own.

She toured aroundIndia, Australia and the USA.

Neil Blake, leader of AVDC, said: “The news of Jackie’s passing came as terribly sad news to me and all who knew her here at AVDC.

“Jackie was an exemplary servant to the residents of Aylesbury Vale and especially those of Marsh Gibbon, whom she served for over 30 years before stepping down in 2015.

“She will be sorely missed and my thoughts go out to her friends and family.”

A post-mortem examination has been carried out and the results have returned as ‘inconclusive’.

Further test are being 
completed in the coming weeks.

A funeral service is being held at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton on June 28, from 2.30pm.