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| Mary pictured on Lundy in October 2015 © Tim Davis |
Monday, 21 May 2018
Mary Gade 1933 – 2018
We learnt with much sadness of the death yesterday (a few days short of her 85th birthday) of Mary Gade, daughter of Felix and Rene Gade, who grew up on Lundy having made her first crossing from Bideford at the tender age of just 18 days, and spent much of her adult life living and working on the island. She inherited her father's love of birds and over the years amassed what may very well remain the longest list of species seen on Lundy by any one person, among them numerous rarities, such as Great Spotted Cuckoo, American Robin and Common Yellowthroat. For a whole generation of Lundy birdwatchers and ringers (whose plumage may be a little more greyish and abraded these days) Mary was an island fixture and someone to whom the maxim "once met, never forgotten" surely applies. She will be remembered with deep fondness by those in the Lundy birding community that knew her (not to mention the many birdwatchers that will have met her more recently on Cape Clear, off the coast of County Cork). Our thoughts are with Mary's partner Steve and Annie, her daughter.
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Mary will be missed by all on Cape Clear. She was fun, kind and gently outrageous. A very special lady.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully put, Sally.
DeleteMary will be sadly missed on Cape Clear Island and by all her Active Retirement friends with whom she spent many an hour over lunch and chats or even a wee trip away
ReplyDelete..Mary you are in all our thoughts & prayers as are Steve and your family.. we will especially miss your humour, kindness and wit! An absolute lady.
A.T.V.B. Mary R.I.P. Paul&Sue Metcalfe.
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