Tributes have been paid to a well known local sporting star and accountant.
The funeral of Mary Burgess, of Park Road, Spalding, took place last week on the day she would have turned 88.
She died last month following a short illness.
Born the daughter of a Gosberton blacksmith, she’s renowned for both her sporting exploits and accounting work.
Her first love was cricket, which she played for both Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, including games at Trent Bridge.
Her talent for hockey was noticed while at the Donington School and she joined Gosberton Clough Poachers, whom she played with for decades.
She also represented Lincolnshire and East of England in that sport, representing the county too in table tennis after winning the county singles title three times, the doubles title seven times and the mixed title four times, each with a different partner.
Spalding Tennis Club was her next destination, another sport she represented Lincolnshire in, playing that into her 70s.
She was the treasurer for Spalding Tennis Club for 30 years after having been the hockey club chair for 40 as well.
The tennis club already have a Mary Burgess Cup individuals play for and its looking to install a bench in her memory.
She also played squash and took up golf in her mid 60s.
“No-one I know around here has a sporting record like hers,” said husband Roy whom she was married to for 62 years.
“She was so well liked and known, I’ve had about 70 cards from different people.
“Everyone says the same thing about her, that she always had a happy smiling face and a cheeky look.
“She was always full of energy and had such a love of life.”
Ron also describes Mary as a ‘workaholic’.
She spent most of her life as an accountant with Smith, Thompson and Co and latterly Arnold Smith Ltd, both based in Spalding.
Officially she retired age 65 but she continued working for long-term clients until the day she was first taken into hospital last May.
That included voluntarily doing the accounts for the Lincolnshire branch of the RSCPA, something that led to an invitation for a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
“When she retired she couldn’t bear to leave them so she kept doing the books for them anyway.
“I think she had about 50 clients.
“It was all work, work, work, around her sport of course.”
As well as Roy, whom she met aged 16 at Butlins in Filey, she’s survived by a daughter Elaine and grandchildren Holly and Ben.
Mary also had a huge passion for cross stitch.
“She was a wonderful wife and mother,” said Roy. “She’ll be missed by so many.”
