Former St Albans Councillor and Alderman Clare Ellis has died at the age of 78.

Mrs Ellis was a Conservative councillor on St Albans District Council from 1979 until her retirement from local politics in 2007.

The Honorary Alderman died peacefully on January 30, following a fall and stroke.

Her daughter Lucy Thrussell told the Review: "Mum was an inspiration to us on how to lead a full life and have a positive impact on the community.

"She was always so busy, running from one meeting to the next, that she rarely had time to even take off her coat, but she also made sure that we all pursued our own activities and supported our interests.

"Her driving force will be sorely missed."

The eldest child of Sir Michael and Nancy Perrin, Mrs Ellis grew up in Hampstead with her younger brother Charles.

She achieved a degree in French in 1959 and a librarianship qualification in London, before marrying Ted Ellis in 1960 and moving to St Albans.

The couple had four children, Judith, Hilary, Adrian and Lucy.

In 1979 Mrs Ellis secured the full-time position of Secretary of the British Federation of University Women, and stood for an "unwinnable" seat on the District Council.

Councillor Ellis, who lived in Marshal’s Drive for 40 years, went on to serve three terms in office, representing St Peter’s ward from 1979 until 1982, Cunningham ward frin 1989 unril 93 during which time she was Deputy Mayor, and Verulam from 1999 until 2007.

three different wards, and was elected as deputy Mayor in 1990-91.

Sitting on the council’s housing and planning department, followed by culture and heritage, her passion for the role of the volunteer and community work also led to her chairing the board of Governors in a secondary school as well as chairing Drugcare St Albans for six years.

Away from her political life, Mrs Ellis became involved in many voluntary community roles, including Deputy County Organiser for the hospital library service, Secretary of Napsbury Hospital League of Friends and membership of the local Community Health Council.

She also set up her own genealogy business, attracting some big name clients.

In 1993, she joined the St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society, became Newsletter Editor in 1995 and President in 2005, as well as serving six years as Secretary of the Hertfordshire Association for Local History.

She continued to study, completing a certificate course in Local History at the Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education, and a Master of Studies external degree. She also had two local history books published, The Pemberton Almshouses in 2005 and Marshalswick: the story of a house and its estate in 2008.

Mrs Ellis lost her husband in 2006 and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for the last decade of her life. She is survived by her four children and seven grandchildren.

Her funeral will take place at 11am on Tuesday, February 24, at St Albans Cathedral.

The family have asked for donations to the Alzheimer’s Society, rather than flowers.