Friends and colleagues of the late Mary Kavanagh Chandler gathered recently to unveil a memorial seat in the garden of the Donegal Hospice in Letterkenny.
Mary had a long and successful career fundraising for palliative care services for the terminally ill, both here and in England.
Originally from Cork, she spent most of her adult professional life in England. She held a senior position in Harrods store in Knightsbridge in London.
Herself and her husband Tony retired over twenty years ago to Kinnarlargy in Downings.
Mary was actively involved in the Donegal Hospice Committee, the Adrian Mitchell society and in most recent years with ACT, a charity founded to support the efforts of Irish missionary priest Fr Kieran Creagh in Learatong Hospice & School in South Africa. ACT also supported initiatives locally around children and life-limiting conditions.
At the unveiling ceremony, Paddy Rooney, Chairman of ACT said the people who were fortunate to have met Mary and to know her will have experienced her forceful and charismatic personality in advocating on behalf of the terminally ill.
Pictured back row, left to right: Sean Murphy, GM, LUH, Ann McClafferty, Mairead Herrity, Mary Rooney, Mary Bradley, Eoin McLarnon, Martin McGinley, Paddy Rooney, Chairman of ACT and James Sweeney, President of ACT.Front row, left to right: Bridie Conboy, Geraldine McIntyre, Treasurer of ACT, Bridie Giblin, Mary Fox, Mary McLarnon & Jerry McGarrigle, all of ACT.
He said it was much easier to say yes to Mary than to say no!
“That was why she was able to garner the support of household names in lending their names to high profile fund-raising events. He thanked all present as the memorial seat in her honour was a small gesture of appreciation for her efforts for the various charities down the years,” said Paddy.
Mary passed away in Letterkenny University Hospital on the 17th January 2018.