SELFLESS Island carer, Daphne Hayles, who dedicated her whole life to caring for others, has died aged 74.

From a young age, she became a home carer for her parents, Horace and Alice Percival. She supported them with their long-term illnesses and disabilities throughout their lives.

Moving from Lancashire to the Isle of Wight in the 1960s, her selfless origins formed the basis of a lifetime spent working in the care industry.

She cared for people on a local level as district community carer, and also as a home carer, looking after people with both physical and mental disabilities at the Leonard Cheshire Home.

Shortly after moving down to the Island she married and had four children ­— Donna, Michael, Sara and Charlotte.

In the early 1980s, she bought Whiteley Bank House ­— a country house she made a home for many elderly residents on the Island.

It remained a family-run residential home for more than 30 years, fulfilling a life wish to create a loving home from home for local residents.

Mrs Hayles also started reputable care in the community business, DCare, which enabled her to extend her passion for care and affectionate values to vulnerable people within their own homes.

She ran the business well into her retirement years and only recently let go of the reins.

A very approachable and warm person, she was able to assemble a loyal and supportive team of dedicated carers ­— individuals who looked up to her and will miss her greatly.

Mrs Hayles loved a good laugh and this was expressed in many ways.

Summer times were often spent in fancy dress, forming part of the carnival procession with the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band, which she loved. She also had a passion for car boot sales, and planting and pruning her many plants and shrubs.

Another passion of hers centred around the festive season, where she would turn her home at Newchurch, and later at Whiteley Bank, into a winter wonderland with flashing lights and plenty of Christmas spirit, raising money for charity.

Mrs Hayles leaves behind a large, loving family, including her four children and ten grandchildren, who she completely adored.

She would never miss an invitation to watch the grandchildren perform, whether it be ballet shows or Christmas nativities.