Rosie Creswell’s life has been one of service to the community with her career choice of nursing reflecting her care and concern for others.
Beginning with Sunday School and Mothers’ Club, she moved on to Girl Guides when her children were involved. She later took on the leadership and administrative commitment of Girl Guide Commissioner in her area for three years. After volunteering in the Mercy Hospital Day Surgery Department, Rosie spent 11 years at the Kew and Hawthorn Citizens Advice Bureau. Here one of her major roles was organising legal aid for needy clients.
In 1992-94, while visiting her husband who was involved in building the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge, Rosie observed the desperate needs in the local hospitals. She used her nursing contacts to organise major collections of medical and theatre supplies and equipment from many Victorian hospitals. She personally delivered these donations or arranged for their delivery by her husband’s colleagues to ensure they reached their correct destinations.
From 2004 to 2019 Rosie was a weekly volunteer at the Cabrini Malvern Day Oncology Unit.
Her role was to provide not only refreshments and reading matter but more importantly to give emotional support and companionship to the patients undergoing chemotherapy. The value of a listening ear to share fears and anxieties was inestimable. Patients report that her empathy was extraordinary and that she gave comfort to many. In addition, her nursing training enabled her to anticipate the needs of both patients and staff who had a huge respect for her. She was a highly valued member of the team.
This only ended when, aged 80, she had a severe stroke on her way to work on New Year’s Eve 2019. That she had touched so many lives was evidenced by the outpouring of calls, cards, flowers and gifts she received from patients and staff. Rosie loved her work at Cabrini and this was reciprocated.
Rosie’s long record of volunteering makes her a most worthy recipient of Rotary Melbourne’s Sir John Reid Community Service Award. Her dedication to service above self truly reflects the values of Rotary.
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Marion S Macleod,
President
4th November 2020
