Obituary: Reay Ferguson, art group founder, 71

Reay Ferguson was the driving force behind the Murieston 50+ Art Group and members have donated a memorial bench to her memory after years of selfless community work.

Her remarkable drive even saw Reay graduate with an honours degree in social history from the Open University in 1996 at the grand old age of 71. She died of cancer in June 2009.

Reay was born in Edinburgh in 1925 but her father James died from war wounds when she was just six months old, leaving her mum Janice to bring her and her brother up on little money.

She had to leave school when she was just 14 to work, but went to night school and gained secretarial qualifications.

She met husband Robert at the Methodist Central Hall in Edinburgh in the 1940s, where they were both involved in youth work.

They married in 1946, intending to emigrate to South Africa, but at the last minute Reay's passage was cancelled as she was not "essential" personnel.

Robert set sail in December 1946 but after a couple of months decided that South Africa was not where he wanted to live and made it home in November 1947 after the birth of their first child, Janice, in September.

The couple moved around before moving back to Edinburgh in 1962 where Robert became a teacher and Reay worked as a medical secretary at the Western General Hospital. In between, children Catriona and Scott were then born in 1950 and 1951 respectively, before fourth child Lindsey came along in 1957.

Wherever they travelled they were always deeply involved in church activities. Robert was a local preacher, and Reay ran Sunday school classes as well as a youth club, youth fellowship and singing in the choir.

In 1977, Reay and Robert moved to Twyholm to run a village store, fulfilling a lifelong ambition.

However, due to Reay's ill health they returned to Edinburgh where Robert taught at Napier University and Reay started her studies with the Open University.

The couple moved to Sydney where son Scott lived and reluctantly returned to Scotland in 1999.

Daughter Trina, 60, said: "They had a wonderful celebration of their diamond wedding anniversary in 2006, with all the family and many friends, held in Murieston Hall, of course.

"Sadly, our dad died in January 2009 aged 89, followed soon by our brother Scott, who died of lung cancer in Australia.

"My mum found this impossible to deal with and she died surrounded by her daughters. She officially died of cancer but really of a broken heart.

"My mum and dad leave a legacy of Christian work and good will that will last for a very long time."