A FORMER pub and shop manager in Salisbury has been remembered for being a “vibrant” character that would always go the “extra mile”.

Jennie McNeill died on June 8, aged 71, after battling cancer.

She leaves behind her husband Maurice, children Mark, Jo, Martin, Malcolm and Morris, ten grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

They said she was a “special lady”, “beloved wife” and a “dear friend” to so many.

After marrying her husband, who was a solider, they were posted to Singapore. They later lived in Calshot for ten years and when Maurice left the army after 22 years, they moved on to a new venture, becoming publicans of The Anchor Inn, Ropley, before settling in Salisbury.

They managed The Market Inn, and after leaving Jennie became deputy steward at the Liberal Club in Salt Lane. She later worked as the manager of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

While her husband worked at St Paul’s Working Men’s Club, Jennie became very active within the committee, taking on the bingo calling duties, bingo raffles and OAP’s functions, organising and arranging trips by coach and Christmas meals with entertainment.

At the club Jennie was an avid member of the darts team and attended a match three weeks before she died.

Jennie ran a ‘thrift club’, which was a scheme to help people save money. And even in her retirement, she liked to keep busy and did cleaning with her daughter Jo.

Her family said: “Nothing was too much trouble, if you’re in need or just a friend to talk, too many people just seemed to gravitate towards her.”

They said “Jennie thought nothing of going that extra mile”, especially for charity, adding: “Many people have said once met never forgotten, [and that she was] such a vibrant lady, like a Duracell bunny, and did so much that they don’t know where her energy came from.”

Her family said a special thank you to the doctors as well as the palliative care team at the hospice that treated Jennie.