Obituary: Isobel Old, singer and minister's wife

Despite living much of her life in Canada Isobel Old was a devoted and patriotic Scot. She was proud of her Kerr ancestry and served with her husband in various parishes in Scotland and Canada.

She proved a most able and enthusiastic minister's wife for congregations in Grangemouth, St John's Newfoundland, Uddingston, Thorburn Nova Scotia and Regina, Saskatchewan.

To all she brought a commitment and vitality that was natural and warm-hearted. Old was well known in Edinburgh in her youth as a singer and sang in many of the theatres around Scotland.

She sang on the same bill as the likes of Sir Harry Lauder but was particularly popular in church choirs where her voice ideally suited many pieces of religious music. Isobel Kerr was educated at Broughton Academy and while there showed a considerable talent as a singer. All her life Old was a devoted Christian and much involved with her church.

When she left school she combined her love of singing with a job as a telephone operator. In the 1940s she was a keen member of the choir at St Stephen's Church on Dundas Street.

But Old was also often in demand as a professional singer on both the stage and the radio. She sang under her maiden name of Isobel Kerr and appeared on the Home Service programmes (now Radio 4) which were broadcast from the BBC Radio Scotland studios, then in Queen Street, Edinburgh.

Old married the Rev Allan Old at St Anne's kirk in Corstorphine in 1948 and their first full charge was at Dundas Congregation, Grangemouth from 1948-1951. They were then sent to minister in Newfoundland before returning to Scotland to take charge, throughout the 1960s, of Trinity Church, Uddingston in Lanarkshire.

Trinity Church merged in 1982 with Uddingston Old Parish Church but preserves the character and style of worship that the Olds practised 40 years ago. For many years in the decade Isobel Old served on the Home Board of the Church of Scotland and brought to its deliberations her down-to-earth and wise counsel. The Church of Scotland sent them back to Canada where the couple served at the Presbyterian Church in Thorburn, Nova Scotia, from 1970 to 1973, and then at the Norman Kennedy Church, Regina, Saskatchewan (1973-1980).

To each calling the Olds brought a fresh and fine sense of community. Isobel is particularly remembered for her ability to get on with all in the congregation and become involved in all aspects of the church's affairs.

Throughout her life Old remained passionate about music - both listening and performing. She trained as a voice coach and then was an enthusiastic coach at Newfoundland's Conservatory of Music at the University of Regina.They retired in December 1980 to White Rock, British Columbia after returning to live in Scotland for some years. The Rev Old died in 2001 and Isobel spent the last six years in a nursing home in British Columbia. Isobel Old is survived by her son and daughter.