LARGER than life Kingswinford character Renie Holt has died at the age of 95.

She was better known as Renie Fisher until the turn of the century when she remarried at 81-years-old.

But she was also a driving force in her community and best-known for her work with the Brockmoor branch of Darby and Joan.

Her daughter Maureen Malik said: "Mum kept the club going. It played a vital role for many Black Country women during that period.

"Mum would collect money every week so the women would be able to go on holiday to places like the Isle of Wight.

"She was also a great believer in health and fitness and would run keep-fit classes.

"Even in her 70s, she could still do a handstand against the wall."

She was born in 1918 and brought up in The Delph, Quarry Bank - but spent most of her life at Bromley Lane, Kingswinford.

She married Charles Fisher in 1938, who later spent three years as a prisoner of war, but they divorced after nearly 50 years of marriage.

It was then, quite by chance, that she met her former neighbour and ballroom dance partner Stan Holt, someone she hadn't seen for almost 40 years

He proposed to Renie on her 80th birthday and they duly married in 2000 and Maureen added: "For the next five years they were very happy together. Then Stan became ill with Alzheimers disease and he died a year later.

"Mum was known as 'Sparkle' and that's what she did. People would gravitate towards her.

"We've been overwhelmed with the number of cards and messages we've received. She was much-loved and well respected by the whole community.

Renie leaves two daughters Maureen and Judith and a son James.

She also had seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Her funeral will be held at Kingswinford Christian Centre next Tuesday (August 5) at 11.45am.