Beryl Rogers (Passed away 13 Sep 2021)

In loving memory of Beryl Rogers who sadly passed away on 13th September 2021

A life dedicated to Care, Adventure, Love and Laughter

Beryl was born in London in 1929 to Sidney and Emily Munday, a little girl that would go on to have an extraordinary life. Her sister Jill, has lived in Canada for many years, but they remained close friends.

A love of caring for others was instilled in her after she was persuaded as a young lady to volunteer for the St. Johns ambulance service.

At 14 she narrowly avoided death when the payroll office she had been working as war broke out was severely damaged by a V1 Flying Bomb, shortly after she left work that day
.
At 16 she signed up to become a nurse and here she felt she had found her true calling. She trained as a midwife in London and Swansea but had always had a lust for adventure. After meeting up with an old friend, she agreed to join her and some others in two cars and an old bus on a journey through Europe to Greece.

Her next adventure took her, and her friend Anne, overland by train via Florence and on to Malta, where she found work at the Army maternity hospital. She enjoyed her time in Malta, despite almost drowning when she was dragged under whilst playing in the surf. She never felt confident in the water again.

The travel bug had well and truly bitten and back in London she applied to the Colonial Nursing Service to work overseas and, after 6 months further training, she found herself in the Liverpool docks boarding a ship headed for Nigeria. She was 24 years old!

On arriving in Nigeria, in 1954 she was posted to Jos, a high plateau, with beautiful flowering trees and a milder climate, she said it felt like paradise after the sweltering heat in the south of the country. She worked in different hospitals, sometimes overcrowded with mattresses on the floor between the beds. She took it all in her stride caring for all with a zest for life and a smile on her face.

Whilst in Nigeria, she met and later married Brian Rogers, a civil engineer from Liverpool. Together they had six children all born in Nigeria. Despite many hardships they loved their time in Nigeria, as it offered opportunities to meet many different people and experience things that they could not even imagine in England.

Their time in Nigeria came to an abrupt end during the Biafran civil war and they had to return to England. Initially staying with her parents, as her mother was ill and then moving to Surrey and later to Liverpool, where Brian’s family lived. All the time managing bringing up 6 children and caring for her elderly father who also lived with them.

Their parties were legendary. Many family members comment to this day, that they don’t know how she managed to look after the children, prepare all the food, make sure fifty or more guests were happy and all the time laughing and smiling her way through.

Brian returned to Nigeria and also worked in other parts of Africa and the Middle East and Beryl would join him when she could, enjoying the opportunity for further adventures.

With her children all grown up, at 60 years of age, instead of retiring as most would do, she and her son, Paul, took over Downs House Care Home in Petersfield and later Stroud House. She returned to her nursing roots, caring for others and trying to make their lives enjoyable as they could be. She was one of the first to introduce parties, outings and entertainment to care homes.

She worked on selflessly until almost 80,but suffered a series of strokes and eventually ended up being cared for at the Downs House where she had dedicated so much of her later life. She passed away there on 13th September 2021 aged 92. She will be remembered with deep affection by her 6 children and many grandchildren.

No flowers, but donations if you wish to Stroke Association and/or Jesuit Missions, through the Just Giving link herewith or c/o Rowland's Funeral Services, St Peters Road, Petersfield GU32 3HX Tel 01730 262711 www.rowlandsfuneralservice.co.uk Obituaries Page