Georgina – lovely lady, caring colleague, wise woman and fantastic friend: the alliterative accolades could continue almost ad infinitum.
We first met just over 20 years ago since when we kept in regular touch. Almost a decade later, I was appointed administrator for ABCD, following Georgina’s invitation for interview. She was always considerate, measured and pastoral in her response to the many challenges wrought by involvement with a charity whose beneficiaries live in an area of the world where the humanitarian conditions are so often overshadowed by the political scene.
She taught me how to manage this tension – to find a way to turn negative into positive. She was always encouraging – and never asked anyone to take on a task she wasn’t willing to perform herself. Georgina has been a line manager sans pareil – yet another addition to her long list of attributes.
Yet at the same time she was so very modest. I knew she was a superb cook and home-maker – that she could embroider and was an able photographer. But I discovered her talent for drawing only recently, when, as a thank you for a gift of Palestinian pottery, I received a hand-painted picture of the jug filled with daffodils – a card which I shall treasure forever.
My life has been truly enriched by knowing such a special person – she has left a huge gap it will be impossible to fill but also a lasting legacy which I shall attempt to honour.
Thank you for being “you”. RIP dear Georgina.
Alison Driscoll