The Moortown grandmother worked with many of the greats in a career which started in London in 1956.

Myrna took tea with Frank Sinatra at the Savoy, coaxed Gracie Fields out of retirement and lent her Hillman Minx car to two of The Beatles.

Her good friend John Fisher said: "Myrna was casting director to stars like Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and David Frost. She was the brightest star of them all.

"She used her striking personality, and secretarial and public relations know-how to embark on a career which lasted three decades.

"It was a tough world in which to deal but Myrna secured the rights to televise a Frank Sinatra show, persuaded Gracie Fields to appear on Stars on Sunday, booked The Beatles for Blackpool Night Out and encouraged Princess Grace of Monaco to read poetry in Leeds.

"It was when she became secretary to the variety bookings manager of Independent Television Corporation that she showed great flair when dealing with top executives."

Myrna Malinsky was born in Belfast, received a convent school education and went to work for a credit draper in South Shields. But she was starstruck and moved to London where she made her mark over the next seven years.

She eventually landed the plum job of casting director for all light entertainment programmes with ABC in London at Teddington Studios.

She spent nearly three months persuading Sinatra to make his British TV debut and as a reward was invited to afternoon tea with him.

She bought a new suit and white leather gloves for the occasion.
"It was worth it– just to look into those amazing blue eyes," she said. "His handshake turned my knees to jelly."

In 1966, John Lennon and Ringo Starr borrowed her Hillman convertible which was in mint condition.

But when they returned it, the interior had been ripped to pieces by hysterical fans.

Myrna joined the Beth Hamidrash Hagadol Synagogue on Street Lane, Moortown, and became its secretary, a job she held for 13 years.

Rabbi Jason Kleiman said: "When Myrna was in charge, everything worked like clockwork.

"She ran the ship so that everything was as it should be and we still follow her system today."

Among the mourners at her funeral was singer Con Cluskey from The Bachelors.

She leaves two sons, Scott and Kyle, and a sister, Lila.