Lady Christine Fletcher was born in Greenock in September 1926, months after the outbreak of the General Strike.
After leaving Greenock Academy she found a job as a telephonist at the local exchange office.
Through her work as an operator she m
et her husband Sir Alex, who was working at an account firm in the town.
Love blossomed and Sir Alex would find excuses to phone for directory assistance until the couple went on their first date in 1950.
They were married in Greenock in October of that year and the newly-weds travelled to Edinburgh for their honeymoon. They went on to set up home in the Capital 14 years later, eventually settling in Cammo.
Lady Christine became a politician's wife when Sir Alex began campaigning to become Conservative MP for Edinburgh North. He was later MP for Edinburgh Central.
Although she did not like to be the focus of attention she was always prepared to do her bit for her husband's career, attending meetings of various women's groups and making visits to schools.
Lady Fletcher was very much a traditional politician's wife, giving support to her husband's career and political campaigns when it was needed, and providing a secure home environment for their three children, Denise, Richard and David.
Sir Alex was MP for Edinburgh North from 1973 to 1983, and for Edinburgh Central from 1983 to 1987. He died in 1989.
Their son Richard said: "Mum was just your traditional mum. She loved to cook and there was always something in the oven baking at home.
"She was loving and very protective as our mother, but at the same time she could be fearsome when it came to not getting a very good report card at school.
"Family was everything to her and she was always there to come to for advice or help with problems."
Lady Christine was a keen horticulturist. Her garden was lush with a huge variety of plants and shrubs.
She was also passionate about stargazing, and an amateur Egyptologist with an interest in Tutankhamen.
She died on April 5 at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and her funeral was set to take place today at Cramond Kirk.
The full article contains 391 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
