Obituary: Karen Purves, long-serving publican at the Stag's Head in South Queensferry

Ms Purves was born in Edinburgh, but spent her early years in west Africa, spending three years in Sierra Leone and seven in Nigeria.

Her family returned to the Capital in 1967 when she was 10, and she attended a number of schools across the city as her parents, also publicans, managed various establishments.

After holding a variety of jobs, including running a video store in Leith and driving a bus, she arrived in South Queensferry in 1985 to manage the pub and hotel.

It was a role Ms Purves wouldn't relinquish even when ill-health claimed her mobility five years ago, and she continued running the establishment with the help of monitors, a microphone and an ear piece.

Her encyclopedic local knowledge of 'the Ferry' was attested to by friends, as was her personal and professional generosity to local charities, which benefited annually from fundraisers at the bar.

Queensferry Churches Care in the Community, the Ferry Fair, Queensferry at Christmas and Jubilee FM all enjoyed Ms Purves' generosity.

Reflecting the history of the Stag's Head as a naval pub, however, she held the RNLI closest to her heart, and the lions share of money collected behind the bar – up to 1,100 a year raised from donated loose change, ticket sales for local events, and gambles on lottery bonus balls – went to them.

Friends recall that the collection money was often accompanied by a personal cheque. She met her partner Karen Bray nine years ago online, who said of Ms Purves that "if you didn't like Karen, or if Karen didn't like you, there was something wrong with you. She had a big heart, and was so giving with her time, money and love".

According to her, the staff at the Stag's Head became more friends than employees, having been won over in part by Ms Purves sense of humour, which "had us crying on the floor with laughter" on more occasions than Ms Bray can remember.

Charles Fletcher, a friend for 21 years, says that she was "a fully qualified people-person, and a lifelong member of the non-politically correct club".

Ms Bray says she was particularly proud of the response to a collection that was held at a church service, which raised 371.61 for the Lyphoedema Support Network. The charity helps sufferers of the illness which, according to Ms Bray, "took over Karen's life".

She is survived by her partner, her father John, sister Jackie and her brother Cameron.