Hospital Board Pays Tribute

Northern Advocate, 9 May 1938, Page 6

Hospital Board Pays Tribute

Tributes to the late engineer of the Whangarei Hospital Board, Mr R. C. Symons, whose death occurred unexpectedly last night, were paid at the monthly meeting of the board this morning. The chairman, Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay, referred to the service which had been given by Mr Symons in his capacity as engineer. “There is no other man we could spare less,” he said. “There was nothing too much for him to undertake in fulfilling the requirements of the hospital, and I cannot see how it will be possible to replace him at the present time. He was a valuable servant to the board and 1 his fine personality appealed to every member.”

Mr Mac Kay said he himself ’had been associated with the late Mr Symons longer than any other member of the board, and thus he was in a position to appreciate to the full his fine characteristics.

Similar tributes were paid by Mr F. Elliott, who considered that Mr Symons’ death would be an almost irreparable loss to the board, and by Mrs V. Donaldson and Mr F. Higginson.

Mr H. L. Younger considered Mr Symons’ death would be a 'loss not only to the board and the hospital, but to the people of Whangarei. A motion of condolence with the bereaved relatives was passed, members standing in silence. A record was made of the board’s appreciation of Mr Symons’ services.