Linda Dawson - Patient Relative

"The Hospice care given to Bill was so kind and considerate, I can never forget the gentle respect and care they gave Bill and myself."

I will never forget the kindness that the Hospice team gave to Bill Dawson during his last few days. Even when he was very poorly, knowing how much he loved his music, he was able to listen quietly thanks to the lovely team. They helped him listen to his beloved Abba, along with his favourite Brass Bands and piano tunes. Nothing was ever too much trouble.

Bill had a pilot's licence, learning to fly before living on the Island. He gained great stamina from his training in Scotland with John Ridgeway, he was a trained diver and many will remember him swimming in the sea all year round at Port Erin, Peel and with the seals at Smeale in the North. 

Sailing was another pastime he shared with his father. One evening, he casually suggested a trip to Peel after supper, having just bought an old wooden 47-foot lifeboat, later restored to her original name, The Henry Comber Brown. Not for the faint-hearted, getting her to sea and safely back was no small feat. Yet single-handed, he was never fazed, even as nearby yacht owners watched nervously. “Do not be afraid,” he would say - words that will always stay with me.

Many will remember his later years in Queen Street, Castletown. going every day by bus to Port Erin to enjoy his full English breakfast at the Whistlestop Cafe, where many knew him well. They kindly now have "William" on his seat to remember him.

The steam railway was close to his heart. His “Granny Peacock” was the daughter of the famous engineering family Beyer, Peacock & Company. His much-loved grandmother, Eugenie Peacock, married an engineer, Mr R. Dawson. Bill donated Granny Peacock’s oil portrait, which now hangs proudly in the steam railway waiting room at Port Erin, complete with her remarkable peacock-feather hat. The Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lorimer, surprised and delighted Bill by arriving to unveil the portrait after personally driving a steam train from Douglas to Port Erin.

I miss him and his many adventures every day. When I think of them, I have many reminding me he was ‘A True Gentleman’.

The Hospice care given to Bill was so kind and considerate, I can never forget the gentle respect and care they gave Bill and myself, even keeping in touch with me both day and night. They are truly amazing and I can never thank them enough.

They make end of life care important for everyone. As Bill would have said ‘Do not be afraid’. They truly are very special. Thank you so much to each and every person there.