Our People: Cecilia Roper. Photo/Ben Fraser
If we could find a word better suited than 'angel' to describe Cecilia Roper we'd use it but if there is one it's escaped Our People's thesaurus.
Cecilia's one of the remarkable women who, as Hospice nurses, devote themselves to bringing care and dignity to those whose lives are closing.
It's trite to say it takes a very special person to become a Hospice nurse - of course it does, but where would the terminally ill and their families be without them?
Since Rotorua Hospice's inception 30 years ago the headcount of those it's brought solace to is sobering.
Take Cecilia's personal tally of those she considers herself privileged to have nursed in the decade she's been with Hospice, she puts it "into the thousands".
It's on behalf of these people no longer with us and those they've left behind that we're talking to Cecilia who repeatedly told us she's humbled that we are, while reiterating constantly "I'm just one of the team".
We acknowledge that, but it's her our radar's honed in on so let's get down to Our People's core business of ferreting out the whos, whats, whys and wherefores of this person who, like her colleagues, gives so much of herself to others.
Ironically her nursing specialty was paediatrics. "Yes, I've gone from one end of the spectrum to the other."
From a large Catholic family her upbringing was strict and musical.
"My early years were the eternal triangle of home, church and music, my mother was extremely musical, I sang with her at church functions, learnt to play the violin at 11."
Cecilia's vocal training came from a nun, Sister Winifred, who's close to celebrating her 101st birthday.
"The nuns were extraordinary, independent, happy women and wonderful mentors."
It was through music that she had her first glimpse of husband John.
"He was the only lay teacher at my brother's school, one day Mum asked me to help with the singing there, this young man looked out at me through a glass panel, my life flashed in front of me but I didn't want to get involved, being so strictly brought up I didn't go out with young men."
John wasn't deterred, liking what he'd glimpsed he tracked her down to the nurses' home she was living in. Cecilia was out but a cheeky friend told him she liked museums.
"The old Wellington museum was our first date, I was home by 9pm with my parents waiting on the doorstep, he asked me more or less straight away to get married but I made him wait four years."
Once married, John suggested they move out of Wellington.
"We were both from big families, he was worried we'd be swallowed up by all the family stuff, his were such strict Catholics they said the Rosary daily at 11am."
An extended honeymoon 48 years ago drew the Ropers to Rotorua. Their first home was The Pines motor camp on Fairy Springs Rd.
"We'd been given this electric fry pan for a wedding present, I did all our cooking it in, got so good at it I won a radio pancake cooking and tossing competition with it."
John taught at Western Heights Primary, Cecilia nursed at St Andrew's (now Southern Cross Hospital), leaving when she became pregnant with the first of their three sons.
As the boys grew she worked part time at Riverholm Convalescent Hospital: "It was luxury to the 'nth degree."
By then the Ropers had built the Utuhina Rd home they remain in. "At that time it was so far out of town it was on rural delivery and the boys kept pigs in the paddock across the road."
From Riverholm, Cecilia became part of the clinical team at the Freemason-run Redwood Lodge.
"I always thought the elderly were hopelessly neglected by the public health system in the 70s and 80s, but the Masonic men were wonderful to them, that place was self-sufficient, farmers would come from Taumarunui with meat."
When the Masons on-sold, Cecilia considered retiring "but one of the doctors said 'get your butt down to Hospice' and I've never looked back. Some people think it's macabre to always be dealing with death but it's an honour, a privilege, people are very vulnerable and they share things they've never shared with their families. With a nurse all the facades are down, it's up to us to preserve the mana, the persona of the person they were before they got sick, it's the disease not the person that's got them into this state".
Such profound words underscore the ethos of Hospice and its personal meaning to Cecilia.
"There's this lovely nursing theorist, Jean Watson in Colorado, who advocates the theory of 'nursing from the heart', at Hospice we align it with the head work."
Music remains her stress-release valve. She's been a long-time Musical Theatre member, her first show was the late Robert Young's Jesus Christ Superstar production.
"Then it was called the Operatic Society, I thought it was far too good for my abilities but I got into the vocal backing group, played the tubular bells, great fun."
Cecilia's proud she was part of the team which nursed Young during his final days.
Which brings us back to that angel label - this normally serene woman gets quite flustered when we raise it: "Me, an angel, good heavens no, if I was my halo would be a very rusty one, I work with lovely colleagues, people think nurses must be hardened but it's impossible not to be affected by the diversity of human nature, that's what I see when I nurse someone in this unique situation."
CECILIA ROPER
Born: Upper Hutt, 1944.
Education: St Joseph's Convent, St Mary's College, Wellington. nursing training Hutt, Wellington, Silverstream hospitals.
Family: Husband John, three sons, 11 grandchildren.
Interests: Family, tramping "the Redwoods are our Utopia", music, theatre, movies "that make you think", reading "I have withdrawal without a book", floral art, travelling, former member Zonta's international board.
Personal philosophy: "Give service to others."