Tributes have been paid to Audrey Warren, a former mayor of Bovey Tracey and a serving Teignbridge district councillor, who has died aged 74. Mrs Warren, the agent for Teignbridge Conservatives, was taken ill at the town's civic carol concert on December 20 and died soon afterwards in Torbay Hospital. She had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Bovey Tracey mayor and a life long friend, Cllr George Gribble, was with Mrs Warren when she was taken ill and described her as 'a much loved lady and a character' who had made a significant contribution to the town in which she had settled as a six-year-old in 1939. Cllr Stuart Barker, leader of the Conservative group on Teignbridge Council, said Mrs Warren had dedicated her life to politics and described her as 'one of life's characters and a great fighter'. Mrs Warren served as agent to the previous Teignbridge MP, Patrick Nicholls, and also to Stanley Johnson, the Tory candidate in the 2005 general election. The latter described Mrs Warren as 'a one-off, quite unlike anyone I have ever known'. He said he had been constantly impressed with Mrs Warren's energy and commented: 'There was always a girlish quality about her. Her interests extended far beyond the Conservative party. 'It was a mystery to me how she managed to combine her job as Conservative agent with her duties as a district councillor. 'She never seemed to stop working. I sometimes wondered whether she actually slept in the office.' Former Bovey Tracey mayor Cllr Anna Klinkenberg said: 'Audrey was a warm, kind, funny and generous person. 'She gave willingly of her help and time to many people without seeking reward. 'Professionally, she was exacting, precise and a stickler for protocol. If organising anything it was done right to the last detail. 'I was shocked and deeply saddened at her sudden death. I will miss her very much. I just can't imagine how we will manage without her organising us.' Mrs Warren is survived by three adult children, all of whom said their mother had 'fought from the heart' wherever she found good cause. 'The political divide made absolutely no difference,' said her son, Peter. They praised the 'absolute commitment' she had shown to her family, particularly her mother and aunt, both of whom she had nursed for many years. They also spoke of the dignity with which Mrs Warren dealt with the grief when one of her children, Araminta, was stillborn. 'You coped as you did in those days,' said her daughter, Moyna. 'But she always spoke of her and she always tended her grave.' Her other daughter, Miranda, added: 'I hope I'm as good a mum as she was. 'She was our kingpin.' Mrs Warren's funeral will be conducted in the new year.
