Ruth Saunders, Newbury’s oldest resident, has died at the age of 107

Newbury’s oldest resident has died at the age of 107.

Ruth Saunders won the hearts of the district when she walked a marathon during lockdown to raise money for charity.

Mrs Saunders died peacefully in Basingstoke Hospital on February 19. She was admitted the week earlier after a fall at her home.

Born on June 11, 1916 to James and Ada Passey in Cromwell Road, Shaw, Mrs Saunders lived through two World Wars and two pandemics.

She went to Shaw House school and joined local firm Elliots when she left. After that she got a job at Marks and Spencer, going on to become the manager of the Newbury store.

It was here that she met her husband, Charles Saunders, and they married on April 14, 1940.

She also joined the Junior Red Cross in the 1930s and continued with them until the birth of her eldest son, Edward, in 1942.

Her second son, John, arrived in 1944 and the family moved to a bungalow in Gordon Road, Thatcham.

In 1949 they moved to Reading to take over the Saunders’ family shop, but in 1955, shortly after her third son, Martin, was born, Mr Saunders died.

Mrs Saunders continued to run the family business, very successfully, as well as bringing up her three young children on her own.

She retired in the 1970s and moved briefly to Carterton, before returning to live in Newbury.

She was a member of the Kennet Valley Guild of Weavers and took part in the Newbury Coat challenge.

She spent the last 20 years, living independently in Clay Hill Crescent. It was from here that she took on her lockdown challenge of walking 104 laps around the streets near her home – the equivalent of her age at the time.

She wasn’t content with that however and ended up doing more to cover the distance of a marathon, finishing to much fanfare at Newbury Racecourse.

She raised a staggering £55,000 for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

It was a cause close to her heart after it helped eldest son, Edward, after a riding accident.

Mrs Saunders was appointed an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours.

Her family said she had had a good life, which she enjoyed.

Mrs Saunders had been a strong Quaker for more than 70 years. The Newbury Quakers will be planting a tree, surrounded by yellow roses – Mrs Saunders’ favourite flowers – in its meeting house garden.

There will be a funeral service held for Mrs Saunders on March 18, at St Mary’s Church, Shaw – the church where she was christened and married.

There will be family flowers only and any donations in her memory can be made to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.