A grieving family is having to come to terms with a second loss in just over two weeks.

Teacher and Ditti­sham community stalwart Pat Heighway has died just days after losing her husband Paul. Their son, Jonathan, said his mother had been heartbroken by the recent and sudden death of her husband of almost 50 years and had gone downhill since.

In a strange way, it is fitting that they are now reunited, he said.

‘They were inseparable and literally two peas in a pod. We use to call them bat and ball.’

Mrs Heighway, 71, died in Torbay Hospital on Saturday, 18 days after her architect husband, Paul, died following a fall.

Known as ‘Ninny’ to her family, Mrs Heigh­way was born to Kay and Jimmy Newell. Kay was a manager at Kodak and Jimmy, aka James, who is aged 102 and still lives in Dittisham, was a computer programmer with Burroughs.

She was educated at Homerton College, Cambridge, and furthered her studies by training as a teacher.

She married Paul Heighway in Ruislip in 1967, having met while working as a student over the Christmas at the local post office.

They had two children, Jonathan born in 1968, and his sister Penny in 1970.

Mrs Heighway initially worked at Ruislip Manor School where she became head of history. In 1976, the family moved to Devon, initially to Brixham and then to Dittisham.

They fell in love with the village and Mrs Heighway threw herself into community life, winning the hearts and minds of the locals.

She and Paul built the family home in 1978 which she loved. She was passionate about her garden which she nurtured from a field into what it is today.

Mrs Heighway taught at Churston Ferrers Grammar School, Blackawton Primary School and Dartmouth Community College.

She was passionate about young people and ran evening pottery classes in Black­awton.

She set up Dittisham Youth Club and, with her husband, was a driving force behind Dittisham Regatta, now in its 34th year.

After leaving teaching, Mrs Heighway set up the Dartmouth Youth Training Scheme with her good friend Sally Vincent – helping countless 16 to 18-year- olds from Dartmouth and the surrounding area.

She also worked as office manager of Heighway Field Assoc­iates architects in Exeter for a number of years.

She set up Dit’sum Players, producing countless pantomimes with Ron Travers; was the driving force behind the Dart Drama Festival; and organised Shakespeare events in her garden at Middle Meadow.

‘She put her heart and soul into everything she did,’ said Jonathan.

‘She was a fantastic mother to myself and my sister and grandmother to Chloe, Alicia, Millie, Jack and Ellie and step-grandmother to Jess, Luke, Tom and Ross.

‘Penny and I are incredibly proud of our mum and all that she achieved. We have been overwhelmed with kind messages and physical support in the village.

‘This is a very hard time for us but every time we think of her we smile. Mum, like dad, achieved everything she set out to do – more in fact. The community of Dittisham and Dart­mouth is a better place because of her.’

Pat will be laid to rest with Paul under the oak tree at Middle Meadow on Thurs­day next week at 11.30am.