AN INSPIRING and adventurous centenarian, who celebrated her 100th birthday in January, has died.

Tributes have been paid to Barbara ‘Bobby’ Blatchford who lived in Newton Abbot with her late husband Don from the 1980s before moving to a care home in Bovey Tracey two years ago.

Her son Eric said she had attributed her long and healthy life to ‘a combination of a good nutritious diet; an active lifestyle; a loving family; a large group of trusted friends; a deep and lasting religious faith and, finally, the occasional glass of wine or Baileys Irish Cream.’

Her family of sons Eric and Roy, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren were always her pride and joy.

And alongside family life, she loved adventure, travelling regularly with Don on holidays, particularly within Europe.

She went cross country skiing in Wisconsin, USA, in her 60s; travelled in a hot air balloon in her 70s; and for her 80th birthday visited the Golden Triangle in India with Eric, first to Delhi, then to Agra and the Taj Mahal and finally to Jaipur.

Eric said: ‘Bobby was not only a natural good Samaritan in her everyday life but became a formal member of the Samaritans in Southampton for many years.’

She also helped with Meals on Wheels and separately she visited hospital wards taking Books on Wheels to patients and was a long-time member of Mothers Union until more recent years.

For more than 30 years, Bobby worshipped at St Blaise Church in Haccombe, where she helped with flower arranging, carol concerts, and social events, forging deep connections along the way.

Born in Plymouth in 1925, Bobby joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force when she was just 17, despite knowing her parents would not be pleased.

She was determined to enlist and it was during her time in the WAF she was given the nickname ‘Bobby’ to distinguish her from the many other women called Barbara in her unit.

After initial training she was posted in 1943 to Exeter airport where she and her colleagues plotted the locations of incoming German aircraft during bombing raids.

On one occasion, as German fighter planes approached South West England, there was an air raid siren at Exeter airport and personnel were instructed to take cover in underground shelters. Bobby initially stayed put, still plotting the locations of incoming enemy aircraft, whilst others ran for cover until the commanding officer shouted at Bobby ‘get into the shelter - I don’t want a dead WAF on my watch!’

After the war, Bobby met and married Don in 1948, remaining devoted to each other for 73 years until Don’s death in 2021.

They had retired to Newton Abbot in the 1980’s where they had a very fulfilling life until Bobby moved to Mulberry House Residential Home in 2023 at the age of 98.

Eric said: ‘Mulberry House has been a wonderful place for Bobby in recent times with extremely caring staff who looked after her so very well.’

Her funeral will be held at St Blaise Church, Haccombe where she worshiped for many years, on August 29th. The service will begin at midday with a lunch for family and friends afterwards.