The daughter of an elderly woman allegedly murdered in her Christchurch home described her mother as someone who embodied “quiet grace and elegance.”

Frances Anne Phelps’ body was found at her Mt Pleasant residence on October 7, with police alleging she was killed three days earlier.

The man accused of her murder appeared at the High Court in Christchurch on Friday. His name and age remain suppressed.

Phelps’ daughter, Karen Phelps described her mother as “a person who was always thinking of others and wanting to help them in any way she could.”

“She was a fit 83-year-old and was really good about eating healthily and exercising. She was always doing exercises for specific things like balance to remain fit and healthy. She was still gardening a bit—not an avid gardener, more to keep weeds at bay—and going for walks around the hill each day as part of her general fitness regime.”

Karen said her mother had “a quiet grace and elegance” but was also “incredibly disciplined.”

“She was also incredibly neat and tidy—I often wondered what her house cleaner actually did! She had a real inner strength and, in her younger days, ran the Mt Pleasant Community Centre. She was a keen singer and actress with the Sumner Theatre Group, eventually performing in plays at the Theatre Royal. Her main passion was Jesus and the church. She was a devout Christian, and her faith was very important to her. Radio Rhema was constantly playing in every room of the house.”

“She would read her Bible and pray every day, attend a church craft group once a week, and, of course, go to church every Sunday without fail. She was content in her own company but would sometimes meet friends for lunch. In her younger days, she worked at Ballantynes as a personal secretary to Campbell Ballantyne, I believe.”

Karen recalled that her mother was always a supporter of her hobbies growing up.

“I remember she would drive me to a different activity every night of the week. When I did ballet, she made my tutu and did a beautiful job, then sat in the car waiting for me for a couple of hours. In her younger years, she was a good knitter and made us leg warmers and fingerless gloves when they were in fashion!”

“She also made beautiful novelty cakes for our birthdays as children—my brother Grant and I—such as ones in the shape of a doll, all beautifully iced so it was almost a shame to cut into them. Mum and Dad took us on many great Kiwi camping holidays in our caravan all around New Zealand. She was also a savvy businesswoman who always had some sort of job, whether it was working as a receptionist for the New Brighton Medical Centre, in an antiques store, or selling products like Rawleighs around the hill.”

Karen shared a memory of her mother teaching them the value of money.

“If we wanted to buy a toy, she would purchase it and then keep a little book where she’d note down our payments. We had to pay it off each week from our pocket money before we could have it. It was a great skill to learn.”

Karen said her mother was “an unassuming person” who preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

“She was always thinking about how she could help others. She didn’t seek recognition and was quite happy doing good for others without needing the limelight. I don’t think she realised how much people respected her and how many lives she touched. Mum was quite simply an amazing human being and an inspiration. I miss her a lot.”