f.2. Doreen, geb. 05/11/1940, oorl. 27/10/2024, Ashford, Engeland. Ongetroud.
Doreen was die dogter van Joseph Ritchie en Eva Priscilla Stewart.
Jeanne 15 en Doreen 13 op die Durbanse strand
Our sister Doreen Ritchie went to be with Jesus on Sunday evening (27th October). Some of us might only know Doreen as one of the older members of our congregation, who on a Sunday would sit about a third of the way back on the right hand side of the congregation by the aisle, and would always come impeccably dressed (and colour coordinated!). But there was a lot more to Doreen!
When she was younger she told God there were two things she would never do: go to Bible college and work in a mission hospital. She ended up doing both! She was a pioneer as the first female student at BTC Cape Town, now known as Cape Town Baptist Seminary. If you asked her about it, she would downplay the challenge of being the first female student in an all-male environment, simply saying she ignored the stick she got from other students. She studied Greek and Hebrew and wasn't afraid to be outspoken, once saying to the lecturer that she didn't understand Greek participles at all, to gasps around her class. However, it turned out that no-one else did either, only they wouldn't say it, and at the end of year, she beat all her fellow students in the test!
After college she went to mission hospital, training in midwifery. She was so good, that she ended up training other nurses. Later she moved to Johannesburg where she worked as a nurse specialising in cardio-thoracic care (heart and lungs), then she spent 16 years working as a carer, moving to the UK at the end of her career. Doreen suffered quite a major stroke at the age of 76, 6 months after retiring. She needed a lot of rehab and never fully recovered movement on her left hand side. She came into membership at WBC shortly before I started at the church in 2019.
Throughout these last few years she has suffered continual health set-backs and time in and out of hospital. After her sister passed away, her only relatives were two nephews living in South Africa and Australia. Covid was particularly difficult for Doreen, living on her own, but she managed to watch the DVDs of the service delivered each week and later (after several tutorial sessions on her tablet from Katie!) managed to get the hang of YouTube as well!
Doreen wrestled with God a lot over her health in later years but continued to look to Him, read his Word and seek to learn more about God. At the same time, she often longed to be in that place where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain, with her Saviour Jesus, fully healed and set free from all the limitations in this life that had become considerable these past few years. Now she is with Him, more alive than ever!
Thank you to all those in our church family who loved Doreen so well these past few years. We pray especially for those that were close to Doreen, for her nephews, and for all who are grieving at this time.
With much love,
Pastor Mark
Willesborough Baptist Church, Hythe Road, Ashford, TN24 0QR
