A SPECIAL waterfront tribute took place during the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta.

Suhail Aziz invited family and friends to raise glass in memory of his late wife, Elizabeth Ann who died just over two years ago at St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, London, aged 76.

Last year the family dedicated a bench on South Embankment in memory of Ann, who was born and bred in Dartmouth and travelled the world in her life, but always loved returning to the place she called home.

‘Her love for Dartmouth was profound,’ said Suhail Aziz, her husband of 57 years. ‘Ann was a remarkable woman.’

The couple met in Dartmouth in 1956 when Suhail was training at the Britannia Royal Naval College.

They were married and lived in Karachi during which time Ann worked at the British High Commission and on a special occasion was presented to the Queen as one of the High Commission staff when Her Majesty visited in the late 1950s.

‘When I left the Pakistan Navy, we headed for East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and my work at Inland Waterways and Unilever took us to remote parts of the country,’ said Suhail.

‘She soon took to the people, their culture and showed great commitment and understanding.’

Mr and Mrs Aziz returned to England in 1966 with a young family.

Ann was also an enthusiastic supporter of Suhail as a Rotarian and took part in many Rotary club activities including supporting the Jalalabad disabled hospital in Bangladesh and Mercy Ships UK.

Together they visited the 100 year Rotary centenary celebrations held in Chicago, USA, and later a Rotary convention in Copenhagen and Malmo.

‘Wherever we went Ann made friends and won spontaneous respect and liking,’ said Suhail.

‘Ann and I travelled to many countries, from Denmark in the North to the Sudan in the South, from Thailand in the East and California in the West.

‘She had a strong affinity with foreign lands and diverse cultures. But always, her love for Dartmouth was profound.’