A viola player, who achieved her life-long dream performing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and inspired many talented young people through music, has died.
Judith Worthington, nee Betteridge, 67, of Elie, died from a sudden illness after an outstanding musical career.
She spent most of her professional life in the orchestra and she also taught viola and violin to young musicians until the day she died.
Many of her pupils enjoyed their own musical successes and many went on to play with the National Youth Orchestra.
Mrs Worthington spent her younger years in Glasgow before she moved to Elie in 1986 after marrying Hugh, who worked as a Maths teacher in a secondary school in St Andrews.
Daughter of Harold and Mary Betteridge and the youngest of three siblings, she is survived by her older sister Susan, 74, and brother David, 71.
David said that it was always her dream to play professionally since she took up the viola as a schoolchild.
He said: “She is best summed up in musical terms as ‘double forte’ and ‘con brio’, which means very loud and great breeziness. She was full of jokes and anecdotes but was also very kind and considerate.
“Her pupils and her colleagues in the orchestra were very fond of her.”
As well as her love of music, Mrs Worthington was interested in antiques and, along with Hugh, enjoyed repairing clocks. She was also a strong rower and loved boating, a passion she shared with her father.
David said when she was in her thirties his sister had saved a man from drowning in Loch Ken in Galloway by rowing out and pulling him over the stern.
Although they were strangers before the rescue they became friends for life before his death last month at the age of 90.
Her funeral service will take place at the Kirkcaldy Crematorium on Monday June 17 at 1.30pm and there will be a collection for three charities she loved the Musicians Union, the Musician’s Benevolent Fund and the RNLI.