THE bunches of flowers covering the pavement outside Aitchisons office have given huge comfort to Maggie Doel's family.

Her three sons and daughter-in-law have been greatly touched by the messages left by well-wishers.

It is only a month since there was a family gathering to celebrate the wedding of her eldest son to the girl she introduced him to.

Gary, 22, and his 20-year-old bride Tamsyn met last year after Maggie joined the Aylesbury firm of chartered surveyors where the two worked before her recent move to Aitchisons as a negotiator.

Tamsyn said: "She was an outgoing, happy lady. We hit it off straightaway. It was through Maggie that I met Gary. She introduced us when he came to the office."

Last weekend the newlyweds were staying at the family cottage in Main Road, Lacey Green, with Gary's two brothers, student Mark, 20, and 15-year-old Tim, a pupil at John Hampden Grammar School in High Wycombe.

The boys are drawing strength from being together, doing their best to come to terms with the loss of a parent who had always put her family first.

Mark came home immediately. He has just finished the second year of a degree course in business management at Southampton.

Maggie, 48, had brought up her three children alone since her accountant husband Terry was killed in a road accident in1989.

Her sister Marilyn Wilkinson said: "She showed extreme strength of character. She was left with a young family to bring up. It was an awful challenge to manage on her own but she showed she was capable of it.

"She was sweet-natured, a gentle person everyone would tell you that but incredibly determined."

Until Thursday, there had been so much to look foward to. Maggie was overjoyed with her new daughter-in-law and proud of Gary for carving out a good career for himself in estate agency.

She was pleased with Mark for doing well at Southampton and was proud of Tim for getting good reports at school. To top it all she loved her new job as a negotiator.