Marian Challoner, the proprietor of Shorwell Stores and Post Office for the last 32 years, has died suddenly, aged 83.

Mrs Challoner was born in Walsall, West Midlands and moved to the IW 32 years ago with her husband and son.

After leaving school, she trained to become a dispensing chemist and worked for years at the local chemist, until the arrival of her son.

Mrs Challoner had known her husband, Cal, for a number of years before they started dating in 1958.

They married in 1960 at Pleck Methodist Church in Walsall.

While in the West Midlands, Mrs Challoner was involved in the Methodist church at Pleck being Sunday School Superintendent and running the Guide group.

Mrs Challoner was also the Division Commissioner for the Bloxwich Division of the Girl Guides.

Alongside this, she was a member of the Brownhills Co-Operative Choral Society and sang several times at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen.

In 1986, the family decided to move to the Island, having visited for many years and falling in love.

Mrs Challoner and her husband took over the Store and Post Office in Shorwell, while living in Carisbrooke.

She became involved in village life in every way she could, including joining the village’s Methodist chapel.

Mrs Challoner helped with the Sunday school and would become a key part of the ongoing worship at the chapel.

In 1999, she became a Methodist local preacher and for the last 19 years regularly led worship across the Island.

Mrs Challoner was heavily involved in the project to restore the bells in St Peter’s Church, Shorwell, and was involved with the belfry band.

Over the years, Mrs Challoner regularly raised money for a wide variety of charities, including the Freshwater Lifeboat, Mountbatten and recently the Children’s Air Ambulance.

She spent many hours baking cakes for charity and people travelled across the Island to buy them.

In September 2016, Mrs Challoner’s work for the Rotary Club’s Shoebox Appeal was recognised as she was presented with “The Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award” along with her husband.

Mrs Challoner, with the help of the villagers, has put together hundreds of shoeboxes that have been sent off to children in need.

She is survived by her husband Cal, son David, daughter-in-law Kim, and grandchildren Jonathan and Benjamin.

Her funeral will be at St Peter’s Church, Shorwell, on Tuesday at 12.30pm and donations will be collected for Mountbatten and the Children’s Air Ambulance.