Thanks to George for this latest news from the Friends of St Mary’s Hospital. Ed
Two generous legacies have recently been received by the Friends, greatly assisting its charity work for the Island’s NHS.
The larger of these, £50,000, was bequeathed by the late Leonard Francis Nicholson, who came to retire on the Island.
Also received was £18,666 from the late June Mary Badger, once actively involved with the Friends.
Legacies a great help
The Friends’ Chairman, Lesley Myland, said,
“We are so grateful to be remembered by these two people. Every year, many departments of the Island’s NHS apply to us to buy equipment beyond the scope of their budgets. It is always disappointing when we have to turn down bids because of lack of funds.”
Grateful for treatment
Mr Nicholson, a keen walker, was 85 when he died. His nephew, John Addis, said he was a former electrician in London’s East End and retired to Wootton some time after the death of his wife.
He said,
“I believe he was grateful to St Mary’s for the treatment he received for some problem.
“He was a very nice, gentle man, always keen to repay kindnesses he received.”
Close connection to the Friends
June Badger died in a Ryde nursing home at the age of nearly 78.
She was a former head of house at Ryde High School and a lay preacher at Gurnard and Cowes churches.
Mrs Badger, who had lived for many years in Cowes, had been a minute secretary and executive member of the Friends in the 1970s/1980.
“She had once given a lot of time to the Friends,” recalled her sister, Patricia Hall, of Aldridge in the West Midlands.
Image: © Used with the kind permission of Auntie P
