Page 52 - QARANC Vol 19 No 1 2021

50 The Gazette QARANC Association
Obituaries
Catherine Annie Delaney 1930-2020
Cath was born to Catholic parents, William and Rose Delaney on 11 May 1930. She attended the Stratford Road School, but little is known of her earlier years. Cath was full of life and fun loving, always well turned out. She was a free spirit and whenever able on her days off would go on days out, seaside trips or whenever the opportunity arose.
Catherine relished moving home many times, in and around the Birmingham area. At one point she followed her friend down to Havant in Hampshire and in later years ended up in the same sheltered accommodation as her.
Cath I’m told, had several offers of marriage but declined, enjoying her freedom too much.
Eventually settling in Solihull, her occupations were varied, from a Clippie on the corporation buses to working in the NAAFI in Leamington Spa from 1947-1951, then lastly as an office temp in and around the Birmingham area.
In 1963 Catherine joined the Territorial Army, 109 Company Women’s Royal Army Corps based in Kings Heath as a medical room attendant. On reorganisation in 1967, she transferred to 202 General Hospital based in Kings Heath as a health care assistant in the QARANC. She was promoted to Lance
Corporal. She thoroughly enjoyed her annual two weeks training camp both in the UK and Germany.
Janet, one of her long-time friends tells of an incident following a billet inspection, where the Inspecting Officer found dust on a window ledge; quick as a flash Cath piped up ‘It must have come in when I opened the window to air the room, Ma’am’. It was all her colleagues could do to refrain from laughter.
Cath continued to serve in the TA until 1976, some 13 years, and was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Medal for long service.
Cath enjoyed many functions and outings with the various Military Associations i.e. WRAC Association, QARANC Association and the Federation of Birmingham Ex-Service Associations.
I remember Cath attending our meetings and outings, always cheerful with a bright grin. Latterly she became more dependent on her friends, Janet Given and Susan Pearce who helped and supported her move into sheltered accommodation in a Josiah Mason Trust Home in Olton and settling in well.
More recently Cath suffered from several falls and following a spell in hospital it was considered not to be a suitable home to return to. A place was found for her in Tamworth Court, where
she had to isolate for two weeks due her testing positive for COVID-19. Cath got through that and was starting to mix with other residents and enjoying their company.
Sadly on 9 December 2020 Cath passed peacefully away in her sleep.
Cath’s Funeral took place on the 30 December 2020 at Robin Hood Crematorium, Shirley.
She was afforded a guard of honour by the WRAC Association Standard Bearer and friends and representatives from the RAMC Association and QARANC Association. She had requested the QA flag/pall cover and Beret.
Rest in peace Catherine Annie Delaney, your life work done.
Sue Reading
Vice Chair Midland Branch
Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Ann (Tricia) Fitzgerald (formerly Worley) TD
1949-2020
Tricia was born in 1949 in Tynemouth, Northumberland. The oldest of seven children, she started nursing in 1966 at Preston Hospital (originally a workhouse) in North Shields and completed her nurse training between Preston Hospital and Tynemouth Infirmary. She qualified as a State Registered Nurse (SRN) in 1970 and worked as a staff nurse,
then a junior ward sister on the surgical/gynaecological ward where her aunt had previously been a ward sister for twenty years. Both had shared the title of ‘Sister WOODS’, (Tricia’s maiden name). Her mentor and senior ward sister at the time had been a junior nurse to her aunt.
In 1972 she worked at the dental/ maxillo-facial department at the RVI and then went back to Preston Hospital as a ward sister on a male surgical ward.