Tributes to nurse who dedicated 40 years of her life to helping others

28 April 2024 , 13:58

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Ita Priestley, 65, died after spending 40 years helping others

The devastated family of a nurse with a “wicked sense of humour” who spent more than 40 years caring for others have paid tribute following her death.

Ita Priestley, from Helmshore, Lancashire, worked at Roselands Care Home in Rawtenstall and Rossendale General Hospital for decades. When she retired, she spent her time helping the community, including Rossendale Hospice’s many fundraising events. Her family were left greatly saddened following her sudden death from pneumonia at Royal Blackburn Hospital, aged 65. Her husband Michael told LancsLive : “She had a wicked sense of humour we both shared.

“She loved her family and she was caring and had many friends. She was very proud of her boys and it is largely credit to her that they grew up into such fine young men. “She liked to care for people and she loved her career. Words cannot describe how devastated we are feeling. We say goodbye to a wonderful and much-loved wife, mum, grandmother, sister, auntie and friend to many taken from us far, far too early.”

Ita with her family

Ita was a keen gardener

Ita was said to take pride in her garden and spent hours at her allotment. She was born to parents Michael and Anne Kirwan in Albrighton, Shropshire, and grew up with two elder sisters, Ursula and Teresa and three younger brothers Mel, Nicholas and Richard in Lincoln. Ita was accepted as a trainee nurse and did her training at the County Hospital and St George’s Hospital in Lincoln. She qualified as a State Registered Nurse in 1977.

She obtained a post at Southampton General Hospital where she did her Children’s Nurse training and qualified as a Registered Children’s Nurse in 1984. She met fellow pupil, Jane while doing her training, who became her lifelong friend. Ita first met Michael in 1979 when his friend was dating Ita’s sister Teresa. They were both also friends with her other sister Ursula.

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The couple got married in 1981 in Lincoln and they enjoyed trips abroad and in the UK. They especially enjoyed visiting Trearddur Bay in Anglesey. Ita will be dearly missed by her son Christopher and his wife Kirsty and her son James and his wife Sarah, her grandchildren and siblings Ursula, Teresa, Mel, Nicholas and Richard.

Antony Clements-Thrower