THE oldest alumna of Oxford Brookes University has died aged 99.

Doris Simms studied economics and shorthand typing at the university during the 1930s.

The former college secretary maintained a relationship with the university, making a significant contribution to the institution's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2015.

She lived in Oxfordshire for much of her life with her husband, fellow alumnus Jack Simms, who enjoyed a long and varied career in engineering working on everything from armoured cars to submarines.

Mrs Simms, nee Paramor, took a year-long secretarial course at the school in 1935 when she was 16.

At that time Oxford Brookes was called the Oxford School of Technology, Art and Commerce.

Several years later she met John Simms, who went by Jack, at a dance at Oxford Town Hall in 1940.

Mr Simms, an apprentice at Pressed Steel Fisher, had been studying engineering at the school three nights a week.

It is said that the relationship was not love at first sight, but it blossomed and the couple eventually wed on Boxing Day in 1942.

After a short honeymoon at the Cumberland Hotel in London, the newlyweds took up residence in a flat in George Street, Oxford.

Mr Simms was seconded to a post in the USA in 1946, to work on a new design of stainless steel railway carriage.

Mrs Simms joined him as the couple went to spend a year in Philadelphia.

On their return to Oxford, the couple settled in Harbord Road, in North Oxford, adopting their daughter Tracy in 1957. Tracy would go on to have two daughters, Sophie and Hannah.

In 1958, Jack became chief engineer at the Pressed Steel plant in Linwood, and the family moved to Scotland.

Mr Simms was then appointed as group standards engineer at Cowley in 1966 and the family moved to Woodstock.

During her time in Oxfordshire Mrs Simms held jobs at the Co-op and enjoyed a spell as the secretary for Merton College.

In later life Mrs Simms and her husband enjoyed travelling together, both around England and further afield to locations including India and China.

More recently, the pair were embraced by Oxford Brookes as the university's oldest alumni.

They were able to contribute their memories to the College’s archives and Mrs Simms played an important part in Oxford Brookes’ 150th anniversary celebrations in 2015.

She attended a special performance of Educating Oxford, a play telling the story of Oxford Brookes, its origins, the development of the institution and the people who were the driving force behind it.

Mr Simms passed away in January, 2014, at the age of 97.

The couple had been married for 71 years.