The funeral will be held today for one of the Island's longest-serving community workers, Freda Darling Olivey OBE, who died suddenly last week at the age of 78.

The vice president of St. George's Historical Society and long-time charity volunteer collapsed while attending a slide show at Mount St. Agnes Academy on Wednesday last week, which had been organised by the P.A.L. S. charity for cancer care.

The keen Girl Guide patron and art-lover died some time later at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mrs. Olivey was a key player in the St. George's Historical Society for decades, and was a member of the Bermuda Music and Dramatic Society. She was also a member of the Bermuda National Trust and the Bermuda Festival.

But it was perhaps her involvement and leadership of the Island's Girl Guides Association, of which she was Island Commissioner for a decade, that she will be best remembered for.

During her years in the Girl Guides, Mrs. Olivey met the late Princess Margaret on one of their annual meetings, who was patron of the international girl's group. And in 1982, she received the OBE for her continued efforts and dedication to charitable work. Mrs. Olivey, who had been married to Captain Wallace Olivey, was also a member of the English Speaking Union (ESU) for more than 40 years.

Fellow member of the ESU, Lady Barbara Gorham, described Mrs. Olivey as an old friend, who she would miss dearly. Lady Gorham said: "I joined the ESU about 40 years ago, and Freda joined about the same time. We became good friends."

But Mrs. Olivey, who lived in Welllington Park, St. George's, also took a very keen interest in the old town that was her home.

Members of the St. George's Historical Society said she had been a member of the society for so long, and before them, they were unable to say when she joined. Fellow member and close friend Janet Outerbridge said: "Freda loved to travel, do needle work, do some gardening, and listen to music, but especially loved being involved with charities. We were very good friends."

Mrs. Olivey was president of the society until 1989, when she continued on as a committee member. She was then made vice-president in 1995, until today. Mrs. Olivey's sister, Dulcie Frith Roe said she would miss her sister and good friend a great deal. She said: "Freda was my mainstay, but she had a busy social life. She liked to run things and was very efficient.

"We both got involved with the now disbanded Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire (IODE). She got involved because when we came back from our studies in the UK, we saw that most of the Government schools did not have up to date text books.

"So, we raised money for books until Government schools became free to attend. She also worked on setting up a scholarship for the less fortunate with the IODE.

"But Freda was also a member of the Bermuda Society of the Arts and would arrange their Christmas choirs, with minstrels in full costume. She enjoyed her work and was always hunting for ushers or choirs. She was always roping me into a lot of things."

In her lifetime Mrs. Olivey received an OBE from the Queen in June 1982. Mrs. Olivey is survived by her husband Capt. Wallace S. Olivey.

A funeral service will be held for Mrs. Olivey at St. Peter's Church, today at 3 p.m.

Interment will follow at the Anglican Cemetery in St. George's. Relatives have asked that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Girl Guides Association, PO Box HM 3125, Hamilton, HM NX.