Tributes paid to much-loved Swansea hospital Santa
A KINDHEARTED festive fellow who has brought Christmas cheer to Singleton Hospital for more than a decade has died.
Roy Nelson brought smiles to scores of patients stuck in hospital over Christmas, by donning a Santa outfit.
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Roy Nelson from Sketty in his Santa outfit
But sadly, following an illness, the father-of-two and grandfather-of-four from Sketty passed away on November 16.
Mr Nelson retired as senior chief medical laboratory scientific officer at Singleton Hospital’s Pathology Laboratory in 2000, after a career spanning 45 years.
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Huw Williams, an Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board senior manager, friend and former colleague of Mr Nelson, said: “Although Roy dedicated a lot of time to the day job, he was a very keen sportsman and played hockey with distinction. He was one of the mainstays of the Singleton Hospital Dramatic Group, putting on pantomimes and Give us a Clue competitions in the hospital.
“He also took on the role of Father Christmas and donned the full outfit to visit every inpatient in Singleton on Christmas Day to bring some cheer to those too unwell to be at home with their own families at Christmas.
Condolences
“He had been unwell recently but had fought the illness with characteristic fortitude and never let his own wicked sense of humour desert him.
“Our sincere condolences are sent to his wife Pat and his children Mike and Judith.”
Mr Nelson started his laboratory career in the Beck Laboratory of the old Swansea General Hospital in 1955 at the age of sixteen.
In 1958 his initial NHS career was cut short by his conscription into the Army.
During this period he continued his professional studies and two years after leaving the Army he qualified as a Biomedical Scientist in 1962.
He was based in Singleton when the Haematology laboratory was completely relocated in 1969.
It was then that he became a senior biomedical scientist and then chief biomedical scientist in blood transfusion in the 1970s.
He was promoted to pathology manager in the mid 1990s.
His funeral service is at 2pm in All Soul’s Church, Tycoch, Swansea, on Thursday, followed by Morriston Crematorium at 3pm.
Comments
by geoboy01
Monday, December 03 2012, 1:45PM
“i always said alright to him and asked him for a 6 foot blond for christmas,he always replied "you asked me that lastyear" i envy santa's as they work for a month and have eleven months holiday!”