A memorial bench for Pat Parr
Since the age of 11 Pat Parr (nee Surkitt) had always known she wanted to be a nurse. After undertaking some clerical work and then working in Huntingdon with children who had physical or mental health problems, Pat applied to, and was accepted for training at, Newmarket General Hospital, then known as White Lodge Hospital. She began her training in 1949 and qualified as a State Registered Nurse in August 1952. During this time she met husband, Dennis, in December 1949 and they married in 1953.
Pat worked in several roles as a Staff nurse and Sister in and around Newmarket. In 1970 she moved to the Nurses training school at Newmarket General Hospital where she qualified as a Clinical Teacher, a post she held until she retired in July 1987. During this time Pat helped to teach about 750 nurses in the classroom and on the wards of the hospital.
Following a short illness in the summer of 2020, Pat was admitted to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds where she passed away peacefully on her 92nd birthday.
Her two sons, Michael and Andrew, thought a fitting memorial for their mother would be to purchase a bench for the grounds of the hospital as it had played such a major role in her life; it is hoped it will serve as a place where former colleagues and friends in the town can visit and remember Pat with fond memories.
Sally Daniels, fundraising manager, said “Marking the amazing work that Pat did for the Newmarket General Hospital is something special. This bench will be enjoyed by visitors but also by the staff who continue her great legacy of working hard for us all. We are sure this bench will be an inspirational place for them to sit and relax on their breaks”.
For more information about your local NHS charity go to www.mywishcharity.co.uk.
