A devoted wife, Christian and charity volunteer Maggie Stevens, has died aged 46.

Mrs Stevens, of Church Hill Road, Cowley, Oxford, died on April 13. She had been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour towards the end of last year.

Her husband, Franz, said: "She was such a warm-hearted person and it is a terrible loss to me and many others."

Mr Stevens, a piano tuner and jazz musician who is blind, added: "If there was one word to sum up my wife it would be determined. She was a very caring and loving person who always put other people before herself.

"Even in her last couple of months she was more concerned with me and how I was coping rather than herself. She was a truly remarkable woman." Mr Stevens said it was his wife's Christianity that shone through and gave her a sense of inner calm.

Because of her faith, she got involved in many projects and organisations, including three years spent as a volunteer in Sierra Leone teaching English.

She was involved with St Luke's Church in Canning Crescent, Oxford, and was a volunteer at the Ark-T Christian Arts project at John Bunyan Baptist Church, Crowell Road, Cowley. The Rev James Grote, who runs the project, said: "She did a lot of voluntary work for us in setting up concerts and helping Franz who played here a lot.

"She was a very affirming and pastoral person who had time for everyone. You could talk to her very easily. She will be sorely missed."

Mrs Stevens also taught at St Christopher CofE First School, Temple Road, Cowley, for nine years and was a volunteer helper at Church Cowley St James CofE First School, Bartholomew Road.

Other organisations which benefited from Mrs Stevens's work included The Archway Foundation, based at the New Marston Pastoral Centre, Jack Straw's Lane, where she worked as a volunteer for 19 years.

Volunteers at the foundation act as befrienders to people suffering from loneliness for physical or emotional reasons.

Sheila Furlong, who runs the foundation, said: "Maggie did a lot of behind the scenes work and helped the foundation tremendously. "She always put herself before others and was always willing to help others.

"There was a radiance about her that touched the people she met, and her wonderful smile and work will be sorely missed by all.

"It's hard to put into words but she was very special indeed. She was so humble. Every time I wrote to her praising her for the work she did she seemed to be overwhelmed by it."

A memorial concert is being held in honour of Mrs Stevens on Saturday, May 4, at the Ark-T Centre, at 7.30pm, in aid of the Archway Foundation and Sobell House Hospice. For details, call 01865 773499.