Tireless Brenda Watterson, whose life was defined by service to the community, has died at the age of 85.

She was the driving force behind many organisations such as the Ladies’ Working Party, the local branch of the Anti-Cancer Association, the Mothers’ Union and Sunday school.

Over several decades, Brenda, who lived in Port St Mary, helped to raise many thousands of pounds for charity.

In 2011, in recognition of this service she was one of 40 from the island to receive Maundy Money from the Queen in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

’I’m not special,’ she said when interviewed by Isle of Man Newspapers on her 80th birthday. ’I’m just Brenda. As I say, there are far more worthy people doing more worthy things. I like people, I like to be part of the village community.’

In the article she said she owed everything to her two aunties, Kathleen and Annie Watterson, who adopted Brenda when she was seven and brought her up in their boarding house, Mona House in Port Erin.

She said they instilled strong moral values in Brenda that she said steered her through life: Only make promises you can keep, help people in need, be yourself, accept what life throws at you with stoicism and get on with it.

nazis

During the Second World War, Mona House was filled with German internees and 14 Nazis were billeted there.

Her aunties were ’mortified!’ said Brenda. ’I was a little girl, I was a novelty. They were missing their families, they taught me how to knit and swim. On Hitler’s birthday there was a big swastika on the oak table with candles, they would say: "Heil Hitler" and salute, I joined in. Auntie was walking by the room and she saw this, I can still feel her hand on my shoulder dragging me out.

’She had to explain to me they were enemies, but at the same time they were my best friends, they would knit me jumpers and make me skirts. I was the best dressed girl in Port St Mary.’

After the war ended, Brenda helped to run the boarding house while a pupil at Rushen Primary and then Buchan, where she had a full scholarship. After leaving school, she did a shorthand and typing course with Lucy Kelly and got a job at the revenue division of government in Douglas.

At Rushen Primary, she had already met Harry, the man who would become her husband.

’Harry was in my class, two books were given out for good work, he got the boys’ one I got the girls’ one. I met him when he was a midshipman, he was always there and we were always writing to each other.’

He was away (working for the Blue Funnel Line) for five or six months or even a year at a time.

They had three children, Mark, Nick and Sarah. She became known for many as the auntie of Port St Mary.

She said: ’You do not think about yourself a lot, I do not. If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing. The value of people is so important.

’Auntie would say I’m just going to pop round on somebody, there is no point waiting until they are dead. Everything I am is because of them, the values they set in me ... I’m a very ordinary person who is so lucky to have the life I have had.’