A VICAR whose wife died suddenly on her 57th birthday has described her as the “love of his life”.

Helen Robinson, wife of Rev Tim Robinson, from Helmsley, died of heart disease on June 8.

Rev Robinson said: “Helen chaired a number of meetings in Helmsley and elsewhere locally. The first was at All Saints Church, Helmsley, to consider the appropriateness of a proposal to open a supermarket in the town hall.

“The church was packed and I wondered at the time how she was able to fill all the pews while I as the vicar wasn’t.

“After this she was asked to chair a number of meetings concerning the re-siting of Helmsley Post Office, ‘Where is God in Aleppo’ at Gilling and discussions on the environment. Helen was a fair chairman and engaged with panellists and members of audiences with wit and intelligence.”

Helen was also a recorder on the North Eastern Circuit and sat on the Family Division Bench for up to 20 weeks a year dealing with cases of non-accidental injury, fostering, adoption and disputes involving parents and children.

He said: “Helen had many interests, let’s say passions, but her chief delights were cooking and gardening. We ate like gods every day. She had that uncanny knack of effortlessly producing interesting food from a very unpromising fridge.

“Helen took on a freshly grassed space as a blank canvas in 2011 with a new build vicarage. She delighted in trying many colour and varietal combinations.

“Right now the garden is a riot of colour, an abundance of horticultural experiment and tradition, a joyful and poignant reminder of Helen. She was and is the love of my life. We, her family and her many friends are shocked, and we mourn her loss.”