Twinkling blue eyes and perfect posture were probably the first things people noticed about Daisy Leona McMaster.

Aunt Daisy was a beautiful person, inside and out.

She was born on July 19, 1932 to Rose and Ernest Weston Tavares.

She grew up on Cemetery Road in Pembroke, the youngest of seven children including Marguerite (Lindo), Weston, Morris, Jean (Moniz), Arthur, and Reggie.

She attended Dellwood Primary School and worked for the Peniston family after school, weekends and holidays. Her parents did not have money to send her on to secondary school, but the Penistons recognised her potential.

She was intelligent and had strong organisational skills. She was the kind of person who believed 'everything in its place'. The Penistons paid for her to complete the commercial course at Mount Saint Agnes Academy.

When she graduated, she continued to work for various members of the Peniston family including in Winifred Penistons fabric store, and at Gerald Peniston's Hardware Store, among other places.

She went on to do part-time work for Global Management and the Bermuda Insurance Institute, but she worked as a personal assistant to the Penistons, right up until the end of her life.

While working at the Penistons store located at what is now Greg's Steakhouse on the corner of Parliament Street and Church Street, she began to notice a handsome young Irish police officer walking by the store.

His name was James (Mac) McMaster. The store was along his beat.

Secretly, he would deliberately leave his bike at the police station so that he would have a chance to walk by the store and catch a glimpse of her. They were married on February 9, 1956.

Uncle Mac went on to become the Assistant Commissioner of Police, and thanks to Aunt Daisy, he never left the house without looking polished.

She proudly accompanied him to every function and kept the home fires burning.

They had two children together, Steven and Patricia and later, two grandchildren Reuben and Ryan. They were immensely proud of their grandchildren.

She had many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews who loved her dearly.

Whenever a little one visited her house they could expect a cookie, and also a treat from her kitchen drawer where she stored crackerjack prizes.

In 1972, when her children were still young, Aunt Daisy developed breast cancer. At that time there were no support groups on the island for people with breast cancer.

She said at the time that she prayed only that she would live long enough to see her children finish school.

She did live to see this, and also to see her grandchildren grow up.

In 1992, Shirley Humphreys had the idea to form a cancer support group for women and contacted a small group of women which included but was not limited to Mary Coleman, Mary Williams, Marian Holland and Aunt Daisy, to form the cancer charity 'Just Between Us'.

This is an informal self-help group of women who have had breast cancer surgery who meet every month inviting speakers who cover topics to educate and enhance life after cancer.

Of the 'Just Between Us' members, she was one of the longest-surviving breast cancer survivors.

She also became a trained and certified Reach to Recovery volunteer.

This is another cancer charity, affiliated with the American Cancer Society, that provides sisterhood with other women of like-age, and counselling throughout the breast cancer experience from diagnosis to post-treatment.

She was asked to be interviewed about her breast cancer work, but she refused saying she did not want the limelight.

She was a quiet and private person. However, she wasn't afraid to stand up for her principles.

She believed that right was right, and wrong was wrong. Many people came to her for her sensible, no-nonsense advice, but she never betrayed their counsel. She was fiercely against gossip.

She was very spiritual, and was never afraid to pray, even if it was in hopes of finding a good parking spot. Even as a child, she won the attendance prize at St. John's Sunday School.

For many years she and her husband attended Wesley Methodist Church in the City of Hamilton. She was involved in various committees and women's groups.

Later, she and her husband switched to the Evangelical Church in Paget.

She became deeply involved in the life of this church. There she was treasurer of the Missions Committee for five-years, and also worked with young people.

Since her death, people of all ages from teens to elderly people have telephoned her family to say how much she helped and inspired their lives.

Sadly, last July the unthinkable happened for her. She received a telephone call to say that her husband, Uncle Mac, had been killed in a traffic accident outside the Evangelical Church.

Although her faith held firm during this terrible tragedy, losing Uncle Mac took a terrible toll on her health.

She died on January 31, after a brief illness, just seven days before their 54th wedding anniversary. Finally, they are together again.