Pauline Mary Rawdon Marshall was born in Liverpool on November 24, 1918. As a young girl, Pauline, her sister Georgie and brother Rawdon frequently stayed at Bank Ground Farm, in Coniston, with their parents Dr and Mrs G.F. Rawdon Smith.

The children sailed on Coniston Water and had similar adventures to those described in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons stories. Pauline met the famous author while staying at Bank Ground Farm, which in the stories is known as Holly How'.

During the Second World War, Pauline served as a spotter for an anti-aircraft battery and also became a ferry pilot.

After the war she studied at the Royal College of Music, in London, where she met her late husband.

She composed many forms of orchestral and choral music winning prizes for these at various music festivals. A sonata for strings was performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, while her choral works of carols and anthems were performed at Christ Church and Canterbury Cathedrals.

Her son Paul performed many of her pieces as a soloist and with local singing groups.

Pauline was also a talented water sports enthusiast and gained her Masters certificate as a sailing instructor at the National Sailing Centre, in Cowes. She set up her own sailing schools in Tenerife and Corsica, among other places. She learned to water ski and taught both sports to foreign tourists in many languages including French, English, Spanish, Italian and German.

Pauline also trained as a pilot.

In her later life she started to write short stories based on the adventures she had with her family in Coniston to where she moved for her final years. She still sailed, taught and encouraged youngsters to learn, and went microlighting at the age of 83.

She died in Coniston on January 25 and was buried in the formerly closed old churchyard next to her parents.