Tributes have been paid to a committed volunteer who gave years to community groups and charities in Ryedale.

Honor Prest, from Fryton, died at the age of 76 on New Year’s Eve after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Honor was born in Danby on the North York Moors in 1937. The daughter of a teacher, Honor did not see her father, John Williamson, for the first four years of her life while he was a Prisoner of War.

After her early years in Danby, the family moved to Gilling West where her father became headteacher.

After years spent working at the the Church of England Children’s Home in Acomb, York, Honor moved to Ryedale in 1961 when she married David Prest.

The couple lived first at Castle Farm, Slingsby, where their two children, Stuart and Susan, were born, before taking over the family farm at Cherrygarth, Fryton, in 1971. On their retirement in 1995, they moved to The Gatehouse, Fryton.

Honor had many interests, including dancing, indoor bowls, gardening and flower arranging, which she was particularly good at.

She was also a very enthusiastic supporter of local cricket for more than 50 years. As treasurer of Hovingham Cricket Club for 35 years, she was made an honourary life member for her hard work and commitment.

In recent years she loved to watch her son and her grandsons play, and was often to be found shouting encouragement from the boundary.

She was involved with the Abbeyfield Society, and was chairwoman of the Malton committee for many years.

Her father, John, lived out the last years of his life in Abbeyfield home, in Malton, and it was there that Honor got to know Audrey Gresswell, the then housekeeper who became her great friend and later her carer as her illness made her more immobile.

As a loyal parishioner at Slingsby Parish Church, Honor helped with everything from cleaning and flower arranging to organising readers and many other things.

Committed to her family, Honor and David were married for 52 years and had two children and four grandchildren – Will, Josh, Charlie and Georgina – who were all very dear to her.

She will be remembered with her smiles and laughter and by a life of loving, caring and sharing – a wonderful and much-loved lady.