People from across the area descended on Stevenage to pay tribute to a true new town pioneer this week.

The Comet: Connie Rees passed away in July.Connie Rees passed away in July. (Image: Archant)

At a celebration of the life of Connie Rees at the town’s High Street Methodist Church, grandson Alex said: “Her concern for others was always there in all of her dealings. It was in her character.”

Connie was one of nine children born into poverty in east London in 1919. Her father died a year later from suspected chlorine poisoning after being exposed to gas in the First World War.

She loved learning as a child but, despite being very intelligent, was forced out of school at the age of 14 and went to work.

In the Second World War she worked as a Red Cross nurse treating people in the London Underground.

After the war she went to study social administration at Nottingham University and became a probation officer.

Working in the courts she met her husband Huw, who was equally passionate about social issues. The couple married in 1951 and moved to Stevenage a year later where they had three children – Jon, Liz and Jennie.

Jon said: “When they arrived she was very busy campaigning and supporting social causes in Stevenage including stopping any development in Fairlands Valley Park and campaigning for nuclear disarmament.

“It was also where she had her one and only driving lesson. It started in The Dell and finished in Hillcrest less than a minute later.”

In 1961 she met the Queen at Bedwell Community Centre and, never one to miss an opportunity to raise an issue, she told her that the bus and train timetables didn’t match up very well at the railway station.

When her three children left home in the 1970s Connie became involved with young carers and managed to get Fairlands Primary School to donate a furnished room for them to meet in.

In 1991 she, her husband and Bob Fowler wrote The History Makers, the story of the early days of the new town.

When Huw developed Alzheimer’s disease, Connie cared for him and had an extension built on to their Stevenage house so that he would not have to go into a care home.

After he passed away in 2009 she became even more determined with her community work which carried on until she herself passed away in July, aged 95 years and 10 months.

Councillor Michelle Gardner spoke on behalf of her husband John – Stevenage Borough Council’s deputy leader.

She said: “She will still be missed but always remembered as a very strong person.”