THE funeral of great grandmother Lily Winchcombe will be held at West Wiltshire Crematorium in Semington on August 3 at 10.45am.

Family say everyone who knew Mrs Winchcombe, who died on July 15 aged 84, will be welcome at both the service and a wake that will follow at The Crown in New Park Street, Devizes.

Mrs Winchcombe, who suffered severe head injuries in a road accident 25 years ago, was a well-known character in the town. She was one of the first people to be airlifted by Wiltshire Air Ambulance and her family believe had it not been for the new service she would not have survived.

But she suffered memory loss after the accident and her personality changed but she remained much loved in Devizes. Widow Mrs Winchcombe was married to Dennis, a carpenter with Wadworth, who cared for her after her accident until his death.

The couple lived for many years in Forty Acres Road, Devizes but Mrs Winchcombe recently moved to The Firs nursing home in Calne. Mrs Winchcombe was originally from Trowbridge.

She leaves a daughter and two sons, two grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She worked in the kitchens at Roundway Hospital and on the day of her accident was cycling to work.

She was hit by a lorry and suffered serious injury.

Her daughter Denise Hocquard of Bromham said: “If it hadn’t been for the air ambulance we would have lost her 25 years ago.

“It was only because they managed to get her to Bristol so quickly that she lived. She had to have three operations on her brain and was in hospital for six weeks.”

Mrs Winchcombe loved music and dancing. At her funeral music by Acker Bilk will be played along with the song What A Difference A Day Makes and The Dance by Garth Brooks.

For any funeral information contact Stuarts in Devizes.