But for the nonagenarian, her first ride on a hog was just another item to be ticked off the bucket list.

Son Robert Southwell said his mum has always been a bit of a risk-taker, but her birthday on Saturday July 18 was her first time on a massive Harley Davidson motorbike.

Riding partner Micky Johnson of the North West NSW Harley Owner's Group had to virtually dismantle the motorcycle to get her on.

"He had to take the side box off, and then take the stand behind her backside and the stand in front because of her age," he said.

"She got on, and then he put it all back together and away she went."

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After a 15 kilometre ride, she said she'd had a ball, he said - but decided she didn't want to buy one.

Marie, with husband Ian 'Butch' Southwell owned and ran the Oxley Meat Company and Lachlan Grazing Partners.

But she also committed hours to volunteering for the Smith Family, View Club, Nazareth House and other local charitable organisations.

Mr Southwell said his mum was a Tamworth icon.

"She's an exceptional woman for what she's done in her life.

"Anyone wants to raise money or do something, she's just there."

He said she's always been a risk-taker, and said she had once wound up in Thailand, struck down by heat stroke after getting too interested in Kimono dragons.

Marie Southwell was a founding member of Tamworth Day View Club in 1968.

Since then she has been president "at least twice" and has served on the committee in a number of other roles, accord to her 2017 nomination for a Making a Difference Award.

Women-only View clubs, formed in 1960, fundraise for children's charity the Smith Family, raise awareness of and advocate for disadvantaged Australian children and form a support network for their members.

There are some 15,000 members of View clubs around Australia in every state and territory.

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