MEMBERS of the community paid tribute to the first chairwoman of Pontypool Community Council, Florence Davies, on Monday, who died just before Christmas.
Mrs Davies and her husband Ivor were heavily involved in local politics, and in later life were supporters of Torfaen Museum.
She Davies died on December 11, aged 79.
Mrs Davies served on Pontypool Community Council from its inception, becoming the first chairwoman of the council - with it having two previous chairmen - in 1987-88.
On Monday, her funeral was held at St Cadocs Church in Trevethin, where Mrs Davies was also an active member.
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Her sister, Kathleen Lapping, paid tribute to her, saying she was "very well-liked" in the community and was "the heart of the family."
“She did a lot of work in the community," said sister Kathleen Lapping.
“Ivor and Flo were Mayor and Mayoress of Torfaen in 1983-84, and Flo was on Pontypool Community Council since its inception, becoming its first chairwoman in 1987.
“She was part of the Red Cross, and growing up she was very much involved in Trevethin Church, where she was a member of the choir, and became a Sunday school teacher.
“She loved to travel, and she would go to Germany and as far as New Zealand with the choir her and Ivor were in.”
(Florence Davies was the first chairwoman of Pontypool Community Council. Picture: Lydia Davies.)
Mrs Davies was born in 1940, to Mable and Alfred. The day after she was born, he was sent to North Africa, and she didn’t see him until she was five.
She was one of three children, with brother John and sister Kathleen.
When she was 15, she worked in Home and Colonial, a food store in Pontypool, before leaving at 18 to train as a nurse at Pontypool Hospital.
It was there she met husband Ivor.
“They actually met in the mortuary,” said Mrs Lapping. “He had the keys to the mortuary, and wouldn’t let her out until she went on a date with him!”
(Tributes have been paid to Florence Davies. Picture: Lydia Davies.)
They married in December 1959, and went on to have five children. When they were grown up, they would also foster children, and the couple adopted two of the children they fostered – David and Lydia.
"She was a very strong woman and was the heart of the family," said Mrs Lapping. "She was very well liked in the community.
"She was very outgoing once she got to know you, and family was her everything.
"It has left a big hole in our lives."
Mrs Davies also worked for Torfaen Museum, where her husband was a member of the board, for a number of years, even volunteering there after she no longer worked there.
The museum posted a tribute to her on its Facebook page.
It read: "In memory of our dear colleague, friend and supporter Mrs Flo Davies, who passed away shortly before Christmas. She was a wise and witty member of the museum community.
"We do and will miss you Flo."
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