Page 37 - QARANC Vol 19 No 2 2021

The Gazette QARANC Association 35
settling in Scotland. A very caring and considerate person, nowhere was her compassion more noticeable than when she worked at the British School, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She was the Coordinator of Supplies with a staff of nineteen employees from Sri Lanka and India. They adored her because she treated them with much dignity and respect. As one of her friends said, ‘Lin was the best of us and our lives are richer for knowing her.’
Lin’s funeral was a humanist service held at Cardross Crematorium, Argyll and Bute, and was very much a celebration of her life. COVID–19 restrictions were in place meaning only 18 people were permitted to attend. A piper led Lin’s hearse from Burtonhill to the crematorium and, testament to her engaging personality, the streets were lined with people paying their respects. Lin’s ashes were interred at Kemnay Kirkyard, Aberdeenshire, quite literally over the wall from the house where her Mum (96 years young) still lives.
This obituary was written with the assistance of Colonel (Retd) Tom Foster L/RAMC.
Sheila Jones Branch Secretary
Penelope Cook
6 July 1932 – 24 February 2021
Penelope Cook, nee Sheard, was born in the seaside town of Bournemouth, an only child to a modest family. She worked hard at her studies to obtain a scholarship to the Bournemouth School for Girls. Once completing her studies and after a short period at secretarial college, Penelope decided to become a nurse who dedicated a large part of her life to the nursing profession. This career in nursing gave her the opportunity to experience a variety of senior nursing posts, in many different nursing specialties. Royal London & Brentwood Annexe, SRN.
St Mary’s Hospital Portsmouth, Midwifery Part 1.
QARANC Connaught Hospital in Surrey on a chest ward. This was a very poignant time in Penelope’s career as not only did she nurse the Gurkhas, many of whom had undergone open chest surgery (with no pain relief) but this was also the time she would meet her future husband, Roland Cook, who had been admitted with Asian flu and was under Penelope’s care.
British Military Hospital, Iserlohn, Germany, sister and tutor.
Birmingham Accident Hospital, industrial nursing.
Royal Lancaster Infirmary, night sister. Bron y Garth Hospital, nurse.
This then led onto a short break in Penelope’s career to raise her family in Menai Bridge, in a village Maes - Yr -Ford. As a family the next move would take Penelope back to nursing at the Royal Bath Harrogate District Hospital as a sister OPD.
Retirement followed, with a few more years living in Harrogate, then relocation to Malvern, where Penelope offered her time to voluntary work taking up the challenge of making the local priory book shop a success. To Penelope’s surprise, on two occasions Penelope and Roland attended a formal dinner at SAS HQ in Hereford, even sharing a table with the SAS Padre. Relocation to Bournemouth followed where she took on the responsibility of the warden at St. Peter’s and St. Stephens Church. The most recent move was to Leeds to be near some of her family. Penelope spoke so fondly of her nursing career, recently declaring if she could, she would return to help her fellow nurses in the hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, sadly passing away a matter of a few weeks later.
Phillipa Booth Grand daughter
The Last Post
Major (Retd) Alice WOOD ARRC 30 Aug 2020 (nee BINDLOSS) born 29 June 1924
Gabrielle CHAMPION 5 Sept 2020 (known as DAWN)
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Henrietta DEERIN RRC TD 9 Sept 2020 Doreen Williams 4 October 2020
Colonel (Retd) Dorothy (known as Norah) MORTON RRC 1 Nov 2020 Linda Kay FOSTER (nee Brown) 10 Dec 2020
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Stella HOUGHTON RRC TD 10 Feb 2021 Penelope COOK (former Lieutenant) 24 Feb 2021
Betty PEEBLES March 2021
Anna HODGSON-BLIGHT 18 March 2021 (nee Edna POTTER) Captain Dawn JAMIESON 24 April 2021 (Serving Reservist)
Miss Edith DUNCAN May 2021
Major (Retd) Miss Margaret Ethel McCOMBE 21 May 2021
Major (Retd) Miss Eileen Beatrice PENGEL 1 July 2021
Blanche AINSWORTH 3 July 2021
Mrs Sylvia HUNTER 6 July 2021
Major (Retd) Mrs Norah BRYSON ARRC 23 July 2021. Aged 100
Mrs Mary FLOYD-NORRIS 2021
Elizabeth LEE (former Private) (date not known)
Mary Rose KNAPTON (date not known)
Our sympathy and condolences to families and friends