Åsa Margaretha Mann (née Svanholm) passed away on 14 March 2026 at her home in Redbourn, aged 85. She touched the lives of many and was deeply loved by her family and friends.

Åsa was born in Västerås, Sweden, on 2 August 1940 to Tor and Gunnel Svanholm, their first child and only daughter. The family later grew with the arrival of four younger brothers — Bengt, Pier, Björn and Kjell — with Åsa often taking on a role closer to an aunt than a sister.

In the 1960s, while on holiday in the far north of Sweden with her cousin, she met Keith. They married on Midsummer’s Day in 1968 and went on to have two sons, Richard and Robin. The young family moved to the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, where Åsa discovered what became her lifelong passion: sailing. They later settled in Queensland, Australia, buying a Volkswagen Combi van for an ambitious overland journey. Over nine months, they travelled back to Europe, crossing Australia, Southeast Asia, South and Central Asia, and finally returning to the UK via Sweden. They made their home in Hertfordshire in 1976.

Over the following decades, Åsa became a devoted member of the local amateur choir, The Lea Singers; welcomed her third child, Simon; and grew into an accomplished yachtswoman, sailing across the Atlantic and serving on the committee of the Cruising Association. Alongside raising her family and running a home, she worked as a freelance translator, built an import business, and later managed the postgraduate medical centres at both Watford and Bedford General Hospitals. She was also a gifted artist, seamstress and painter, creating memorable pieces for her choir’s Christmas concerts.

Åsa lived with significant health challenges throughout her life — rheumatoid arthritis, joint replacements, fused vertebrae, and, in later years, a debilitating stroke that left her with paralysis on her left side. Despite these hardships, she continued to find joy in her garden, in Keith’s home‑cooked meals, and in time spent with her family. A special thanks goes to Keith, who became her devoted carer and constant support.

Rest in peace, Åsa. You will be deeply missed.

Donations in memory of Åsa can be made to the RNLI or Arthritis UK via these links https://rnli.org/ , https://www.arthritis-uk.org/our-research/ or to The Stroke Association via the link at the bottom of the page.