The former secretary of one of Scotland’s biggest agricultural shows has collapsed and died while out rambling
Margaret Hepburn was with her husband Jimmy and members of a walking club she led when she was taken ill.
People in her party and passersby tried to save her but were unable to revive the 67-year-old.
Last night, her heartbroken husband described her as “something special” and members of the New Deer Show committee paid their own tributes to the mother-of-three.
Mrs Hepburn had been the chairwoman of Mintlaw Walking Club for six years and was also president of the Maud Branch of the Scottish Women’s Institutes – known as “the rural”.
She had taken members of the walking club to Forres for their fortnightly outing.
She and her husband had just enjoyed a lunch with the group and were part of the way through their planned ramble when she collapsed.
Mr Hepburn revealed last night that he met his wife-to-be when she was a 15-year-old and he was playing football for local team Cuminestown.
Speaking at their home at Maud he said: “She always came to the football with her pals.
“She went to dances there as well. We had been married 49-and-a-half-years. She was always happy, she was a great family person.
“She was always smiling, and very friendly. She was something special.
“It was a seven-and-a-half-mile walk, and we had done about five.
“People stopped to help, it was a public road, but she just collapsed. She was talking to friends just before that.”
Mrs Hepburn had been a member of the women’s institutes for nearly half a century.
Daughter Helen said: “She was involved in all the competitions they had.
“Mum always played an active part and if there was a silly sketch to do, she would have done it.
“She did her judge’s test, too, which let her go out and judge other rurals and shows. She loved doing that.
“She was also the secretary of the New Deer Show for 18-years. She relentlessly put her all into that show and probably took it to the level it is at today. She was very efficient.”
Mrs Hepburn went to college in Aberdeen and pursued a career in book-keeping, working at a department store in Peterhead, before launching her own business – a bed and breakfast – with her husband at Pond View near Maud.
Helen said: “We were looking at the visitors’ book today.
“It was just full of things about how welcoming and friendly she was. That’s just the kind of person mum was, she was a people person.
“She was always busy at home – she just loved cooking and entertaining. She liked us all being here, we were actually here last Sunday and had a great family day. She never really relaxed a lot. She lived life to the full.
“When we heard she had died, it was unbelievable. It was absolutely devastating.”
Daughter Donna added: “She was never ill in her life, so for her to just to go out one day and never come back was such a shock.”
Drew Wilson, the president of last year’s New Deer Show, said Mrs Hepburn’s death had come as huge shock.
The Hepburns were invited to Mr Wilson’s son’s wedding on Friday.
Mr Wilson said: “As far as I’m aware, she was actually pretty fit. She was actually supposed to be at my son’s wedding on Friday, so it came as a shock.
“When I left school, I worked with them for five years and got all my meals there. I couldn’t have been looked after better by them.”
Mrs Hepburn is also survived by a third daughter, Ruth, and nine grandchildren – Kirsten, Ailsa, Iona, Alasdair, Helen, Gareth, Hannah, Hugh James and Selina.
She died on Wednesday.