Dear Fiona Sorry to hear about your mum. I live in Australia now. I would love to hear from you. My number is +61 8 64604892. if you have any problems please feel free to speak to my mum on 01223 881415 Terry Donno

Forever in our memories.

Today is a sad day for all of us as we join together to say goodbye to Rosemary. Everyone here today will have a perspective of Rosemary and each of will have gained from just knowing her. We have gathered together thoughts from her family and some friends which we would like to share with you. Rosemary’s first role in life was that of a daughter. The first born of Tom and Molly Geoghegan. From her early childhood Rosemary displayed a desire to help people. Form the stories told I believe she was a dab hand at crawling into attic spaces, helping her dad as he installed electricity in and around Carlow town and county. It was her father Tom who introduced Rosemary to classical music an interest she sustained throughout her life. Rosemary’s next life role was that of “Big” sister. I use the term big advisedly for as all of us here know Rosemary could never have been described as big in the “Physical Context”. When there are nine children and particularly after the death of the Father a great deal of caring fell upon the older sibling, Rosemary, John and Pat in particular. Having completed her education at St. Leo’s School Rosemary, like many young Irish women emigrated to Liverpool where she completed her Nurse Training. She later moved to London to share a flat with her brother John and sister Pat. All three sent as much of their earning as they could to help their mother support the six young brothers and sisters. The six of us who remained in Ireland have vivid memories of the excitement of our mother as soon as she her that Rosemary, John or Pat were coming home for a visit. Gays recalls as a young child memories of Rosemary as this rather beautiful and glamorous person who appeared for two weeks every now & then, while Tom recalls memories Rosemary and our cousin Mariano backing a three layer chocolate cake an unknown treat at that time. If I tell you that this was about 1960! then you have an idea of just how good that cake must have been!! In 1967 Rosemary returned to Ireland to nurse for her mother who was terminally ill and to support and care for her younger brothers and sisters a role she carried out for the next two years. It was during this period that Rosemary passed on her interest in classical music to Tom who describes Rosemary’s playing of her stack of 45’s as her lasting ‘gift’ to him. Rosemary continued in family role of friend, confident and sometime surrogate mother throughout her life. She remembered birthdays not just of her siblings but also of her nieces and nephews. She wrote wonderful chatty and informative letters and cards for every ‘occasion’. Rosemary loved the “Geoghegan” get-togethers and her sister Eileen recalls Rosemary’s love of cooking, particularly how her vegetable curries were a “must” on any get-together menu. Rosemary the Nurse, trained at Broad Green Hospital Liverpool and shortly after qualifying in (1960) took up a position of staff nurse on the Metabolic Unit at the Hammersmith. Here Rosemary’s excellence as a nurse was soon recognised and she was appointed as Sister in Charge of the Unit. A doctor colleague (Gil Thompson and his wife) from that time described Rosemary as “ a kind, sincere and caring person as well as being one of the best nurses with whom I worked”. Gill also added that “Rosemary and Graham made a formidable medical team on the Unit”. In 1964 Rosemary undertook an MRC overseas posting at their Tropical Unit at Fajara, near Bathurst, Gambia. Gambia of the 60’s was undeveloped with few roads and frequently the only means of transport to the outreach clinic was on dirt roads or by canoe. Not for the faint hearted! Here again we find examples of Rosemary’s guts and determination. Rosemary suffered ill health from the outset but as reported by a colleague Janet Williams Rosemary decreed that her illness was something to be tolerated while she got on with the business of “living and working”. Graham (Rosemary’s husband) recalls how it is impossible to forget her work with ill children in West Africa and the joy she brought to those that she looked after so caringly. She always regretted the tropical illness that brought her back to London so ill. But with great courage she emerged from her ill-health to run the clinical research unit at Hammersmith where she met and married Graham thus started another phase of her life – rearing a family. Rosemary was immensely dedicated to her family. She was heavily involved in supporting Graham and her children, Rosemary immersed herself in supporting both Fiona’s and Jonathans’ activities throughout childhood and right up to her recent illness. Her greatest joy was in seeing both Fiona and Jonathan graduate from University and develop independent careers. Other major highlights included being present when Fiona achieved a sliver medal at the Para-Olympics in Sydney in 2004 and attending Jonathans Wedding to Sarah in 2006. Rosemary was immensely proud of Fiona and Jonathan and as any here can testify her letter were always full of their latest news and achievements. It would be all to easy to “sugar-coat” Rosemary and present only the good. Rosemary was a very real person, a wife and loving mother, a caring and supportive sister, a respected and loved aunt a loyal and devoted friend and at times truly exasperating. She was very much her own person with a fierce sense of independence. She failed to adhere to the advice she so readily gave others about looking after themselves. She became irritable and embarrassed if too much attention was focus on her or health needs Finally in summary Rosemary was immensely dedicated to her family and to her work as a nurse, often at great cost to her own well-being. She engendered great love and loyalty from her family and friends and would do absolutely anything for her children. She will be remembered for her courage in the face of adversity and will be sorely missed by those who were close to her. In closing, I want to thank the many friends who are here with us today, and for the kind thoughts of her many friends who knew Rosemary through her nursing voluntary work and through her church. Your support and kindness have helped us greatly at this sorrowful time. I know if she could she would be the very one to tell us not to mourn, for her memories and ours are linked forever.