AN ‘inspiring, creative and musical’ East Lancashire teacher has died aged 85.

Marjorie Eastwood spent most of her career at Oswaldtwistle’s Hippings Methodist Primary and then St Andrew's School in Livesey, Blackburn.

A keen singer and music teacher, Mrs Eastwood played the piano, violin, guitar and French horn.

She encouraged her classes to stretch themselves musically and creatively, staging musicals including Joseph and Jesus Christ Superstar at St Andrew’s through the 70s and early 80s.

Born in Oswaldtwistle to Irvin and Edie Lingard in 1933, Mrs Eastwood took early retirement because of multiple sclerosis and become the centre of a national network offering advice and help to other sufferers of the debilitating disease.

Despite this, she completed an art foundation course at Blackburn College followed by a fine art sculpture degree at the University of Central Lancashire in 1991.

When suffering from breast cancer, Marjorie designed and created the first Garden of Memories at Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Mrs Eastwood was also involved with churches, notably York Street Methodist Chapel in Oswaldtwistle, later the Parish of St Peter and St Paul in Rishton and then St Silas’s in Blackburn.

Her younger daughter Lorna Eastwood Horne said: “My mother was inspiring, creative and musical. She loved children and teaching.

“She faced her illness with great positivity and became a the centre of a hub helping other sufferers. My mother was great fun and would often unexpectedly and entertainingly start to sing. She will be much missed.”

Mrs Eastwood, who died on March 27 in Bingley, leaves Lorna and sister Judith Pearson, 83-year-old husband John, and grandchildren John and Heloise Pearson. Her funeral will be at noon on April 9 at Kildwick Parish Church.