The children of Rosalind Runcie, who died in Hertfordshire, have paid tribute to her as an "irrepressible woman who was determined not to be pigeon-holed as a traditional 'clergy wife'", Grantham Journal reports.
Lady Angela Rosalind Runcie, widow of the late Lord Runcie, known as "Lindy", died peacefully aged 79 at Watford General Hospital in Hertfordshire last week after a short illness, the Diocese of London said.
The pianist and music teacher's husband Robert was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.
In a statement, Lady's Runcie's children said she believed a wife could still have her own career and be her own woman while supporting her husband's ministry, and was determined to keep the Archbishop's feet on the ground, once famously saying that "too much religion makes me go off pop".
They said she was "first and foremost" a musician, studying piano at the Guildhall School of Music and going on to become an accomplished performer as well as a "strict, encouraging, and inspirational" teacher.
Lady Runcie raised thousands of pounds for charity and was honorary president of the Anglo-Armenian Association.
Tributes have also been paid to her by members of the religious community. The Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith, said the 79-year-old was "enormous fun, with a fund of stories and anecdotes".
