Monday 1st February 2010
Peggy Gye, who created the village museum in Market Lavington, died at Salisbury District Hospital on Tuesday following a long illness.
Mrs Gye, 88, was born and lived all her life in the village.
She had a fascination with local history and played a central role in creating Market Lavington Museum in the old schoolmaster’s house next to St Mary’s Church in 1984.
Many of the artefacts on display were discovered and donated by Mrs Gye, who won theaccolade of Wiltshire museum volunteer of the year in 2002.
She often gave talks to local groups and visited schools to talk about local history and contributed to Brian McGill’s book about Market Lavington’s history titled Village Under the Plain.
She married Tom Gye, whose family ran the village building business and who survives her.
The couple had two sons, Tim, who lives in Littleton Panell and Johnathan, who died in 2001 at the age of 54.
They have five grandchildren, Katie, Matthew, Susie, Emma and Hannah and five great grandchildren, Thomas, Laura, Ellie, Lily and Luke.
The funeral, on Thursday February 11 at 1.30 p.m. at Salisbury Crematorium, will be for family only but Mr Gye is hoping to arrange a memorial service in the village at a later date.