A FORMER nurse from Cartmel has died, aged 98.

Joyce Smith was born at Walney Island and spent her childhood at Cartmel Vicarage before moving to Yorkshire and later to Haverthwaite.

After joining the Church Girl's Brigade in 1936, Miss Smith spent a couple of years in Canada with the Sunday School Mission.

Her war years were spent as a VAD at Clitheroe Hospital, where she was inspired to qualify as a nurse and midwife and went on to represent state enrolled nurses on the Nurses' Council for 14 years. Her last medical post was with the Treasury in London.

Miss Smith retired to her family home in Cartmel and, although handicapped by deafness, she was an enthusiastic member of the Women's Institute, the choral society, Grange Lecture Society and other organisations.

As well as making many contributions to the parish magazine, Miss Smith was also an accomplished bookbinder, and wrote many articles, poems and a baptismal hymn now used by Cartmel Priory.

Miss Smith's family believe that her longevity could be down to the fact that she left her bedroom window open in all weathers throughout her lifetime.