A NURSE who dedicated her life to caring for Bradford people has died aged 89.

Pat Beasty, from Wibsey, who worked for decades as a senior nursing officer on nights, died on July 13 at Bradford Royal Infirmary, after a short illness.

Miss Beasty, who leaves an older sister, Peggy, and nieces and a nephew, was brought up in a Catholic family in the Parish of St Mary’s near Church Bank in Barkerend.

As a young girl she was evacuated during the the Second World War to go live with a family in Linton, near Grassington.

Desperate to become a nurse, she volunteered at local children’s homes and nursing homes until she was 17 and old enough to start her nurse training.

She began training at St Luke’s Hospital and spent most of her career there, gathering more responsibilities as well as much respect from her colleagues, bosses and patients, said her niece Elizabeth Redmond, from Halifax.

“Being a nurse was all she ever wanted to be,” she said. “She was always very caring, even as a little girl. She worked her way up through the ranks and was eventually made senior nursing officer on nights for St Luke’s as well as the children’s hospital, Salts Hospital and the Leeds Road Fever Hospital.”

Miss Beasty retired 33 years ago, taking herself off on day trips to the Dales which she enjoyed and once on a cruise – although she was less than enamoured and described it as a floating working men’s club, said Mrs Redmond.

“She was quite a private person but was a proper lady. She wore fine clothes and when she came to visit us it was a treat but we were all a bit terrified of her! The younger nurses who knew her and became friends of mine would stand to attention when she was about, one of them even if she was just on the phone, but she was very fair.

“She wore a big white starched hat and at night would shine her torch on her fob watch. A lot of really ill people thought they’d died and she was an angel.

“She never married, she dedicated herself to her career caring for Bradford people.”

Miss Beasty’s funeral was due to take place at St Winifride’s Church in Wibsey today at 11am, followed by a committal at Park Wood Crematorium, Elland.

Donations in her memory will go to Martin House Children’s Hospice, caring for children and young people.