A FAMILIAR face in church circles has passed away after a long illness.

One of four sisters, Rosemary Florence Haines (formerly Matthews) was born in Berkshire in March 1928. At the age of eight, she moved with her family to North Wales where she spent the next 13 years.

At 21, the family moved to Scotland where Mrs Haines took up a post working in a Christian Endeavour Home before moving to work in one of a number of Christian holiday homes the Methodist Guild House, Dhalling Mhor.

In 1958 her job brought her to another of the guild houses - Abbot Hall in Kents Bank where she settled for the rest of her working life.

In 1980, at the age of 52, Mrs Haines married the Rev M.H.C. Haines, a widower and long-time friend of the family, at Cartmel Methodist Church. A rector with the Church of England who was ordained at Newcastle Cathedral, Mr Haines retired to Allithwaite after his last posting at a church in Cambridgeshire.

After five happy years together at their Kirkhead Road home, her husband (a father of three) died and Mrs Haines began to fulfil her dreams of travelling the world with trips around Europe and to the Far East where she was proud to walk sections of the Great Wall of China.

A keen Girl Guide in her youth, Mrs Haines continued with the Trefoil Guild and was a member of Allithwaite's Mothers' Union. A major player in the local Women's Institute scene, she was a staunch Methodist and held office at Cartmel Church.

Mrs Haines died at her home in Grange on November 5.