My aunt Beryl Knotts, who has died aged 92, was a social worker who brought an unfailing cheerfulness to friends she made all over the world through her work for disaster relief, with Oxfam and other organisations. She had a winning combination of mischief and optimism based on her Christian faith.
Born in Epsom, Surrey, she came from a close family; her father, Lyn, was an electrical and signals engineer on the railways, which inspired Beryl’s brother, John, to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. Her mother, Kath (nee Treacher), dreamed of working as an architect but was steered into more “suitable” work as a secretary.
