LOVING tributes have been paid to a popular North Yorkshire publican, who has died aged 45.

Margaret Rose Mackenzie had been licensee of The Angel, in Easingwold's Market Place, for just 18 months, but she had already won the friendship of locals and fellow licensees alike.

She died early last Saturday, following a heart attack.

John White, her partner of 17 years, told the Evening Press: "She was so special; she touched everybody's lives that she met.

"She was just a lovely person."

Margaret Rose, who was known as "MR", hit the headlines in August last year, when The Angel clinched three top awards in the Easingwold in Bloom contest after just a year in her hands, thanks to her passion for flowers.

Her step-daughter, Nicola White, said: "It just shows you what she was like that she won. She always had to be good at everything. She loved flowers, but she was great at whatever she did.

"She'd never played darts before she came here, but she learned and she became brilliant at it."

Her son Alan said: "She always wanted to go for it, and she helped everybody with their problems."

Prior to moving to Easingwold, Margaret Rose was licensee of the White Horse pub in Upper Poppleton.

She was born and raised in Glasgow, and had been in the hotel trade for almost all her life. She had no history of heart complaints.

Her friend Tam Ingalsbe said: "Everyone will remember her for her Scottish humour and her laughter.

"She and John put in a lot of energy when they took over The Angel. She laid on such great home-cooked food that people loved going there, and they would always leave feeling happy.

"I last saw her on Friday night, and she was laughing and looking gorgeous, having the time of her life; it's important that people remember her that way.

"I don't think I've ever met a couple who were so meant to be together as her and John."

The pub's patrons also paid tribute to their host. Maureen Banks said: "She will be greatly missed, because she was lovely."

Another patron added: "She was one of the good ones; no, one of the best."

A funeral service for Margaret Rose takes place at Easingwold Parish Church at 2pm this Friday.

Updated: 08:44 Wednesday, January 30, 2002