A 'devoted and loving' mother-of-three who selflessly volunteered for an array of charities and organisations has died at the age of 79.

From setting up the Abbeyfield Home for the elderly to organising a major charity fundraiser for Save the Children at Sandringham Palace, Vivienne Osborne "never looked for any kudos," her husband David Osborne said.

The Beccles grandmother had celebrated her 79th birthday just weeks before losing her fight with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Mr Osborne said: "She was absolutely marvellous. We have been flooded with cards from all sorts of groups and organisations saying how loving, caring and hard-working she was.

"Through all the things she did, she was always helping people and she was key in so many groups and helped raise a huge amount of money.

"Looking back, it seems incredible to have done everything she did in a time before mobile phones and the internet.

"She did it all without any fuss or trepidation and it was an absolutely superb achievement."

After moves to London, Yorkshire and Jersey, the couple settled in Beccles in 1978 and remained ever since.

Mr Osborne said: "She was born in Rochdale with scarlet fever and tuberculosis, and it was very difficult to survive.

"Her father managed to get a job in Great Yarmouth and the clean air helped her, and she became very athletic."

The former Great Yarmouth High School headgirl worked as part of a pharmaceutical research team after studying zoology at Exeter University.

Mrs Osborne's family have launched a JustGiving page to raise money for the PSP Association.

Mr Osborne said: "She was diagnosed in November after more than two years of looking for an answer.

"It was devastating because we knew it was a death sentence.

"The trouble with PSP is that the symptoms don't really emerge clearly. For two years, no one mentioned neurology.

"They thought it was depression at first and the search started when that didn't work."

For details of Mrs Osborne's funeral arrangements, call David Osborne on 01502 471 878. To donate, go to: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/vivienneosborne