A tribute to Deacon Barbara Morrison
Morrison will be remembered as a kind and caring person who firmly believed that actions spoke louder than words.
Tributes are pouring in for Tambo Babies Boksburg founder Deacon Barbara Morrison (72) of Beyers Park, who died on July 18 from Covid-19 complications.
According to her daughter, Gillian Mead, she was part of the Anglican Church of Boksburg for nearly fifty years.
“She joined Boksburg Anglican Church in 1972, where she was an active member of the ladies’ fellowship (AWF). This group of women ran all sorts of projects and programmes to raise funds for the church and doing good work in the communities. Barbara became a server assisting the priest for many years until Fr Tom Amoore, her previous priest, encouraged her to study further,” Mead said.
Morrison launched the Tambo Babies project in 2013 after reading an article in the Boksburg Advertiser about newborn babies at Tambo Memorial Hospital being discharged from hospital wrapped in newspapers and bin bags.
“She started knitting items for the babies and encouraged others to do the same. Soon, Barbara, her friends, supporters from Boksburg and abroad, particularly her cousin in England, and her parish by supplying regular hampers to these new mothers comprising all the essentials needed to take care of their newborn infants. This work received national recognition when SABC’s Fokus picked up this news story on Christmas Eve in 2017. A senior sister at Tambo Memorial Hospital interviewed on television commented that mothers were travelling long distances specifically to come to this Boksburg institution to give birth so that they too could benefit from the largesse. Just recently, for example, the project delivered 62 hampers at Pholosong Hospital and 50 hampers at the Far East Rand hospital,” said her son, Ken.
He described Morrison as a kind and caring person who firmly believed that actions spoke louder than words.
“My mother’s care for others was evident from early on when she left school at the age of 16 to work to take care of her family after the death of her father, Robert Lishman,” said her son.
Morrison is survived by her husband of almost 50 years (Michael ), her two children, grandchildren (Alasdair, Olivier and Freya Morrison) and son-in-law and daughter-in-law.
A memorial service will be held at St Michael’s Anglican Church, 2 Plein Road, on July 30 at 16:00. It will also be streamed via Zoom.
For further details and to receive the Zoom link, contact Ken at boksburgfuneral@gmail.com or the Anglican Church office on 087 822 1045.
Tribute messages on Friends of Tambo Babies’ Facebook page:
• Frances Gerber Chater: So so sad.
• Jeanette Godden: A very special Lady. RIP. Condolences to Mike Gillian Ken and the family. One more angel is in heaven.
• Colleen Bow: Her spirit will live on through our hands as we continue to care for those less fortunate in her honour.
• Dick Lishman: I will miss my big sister. Love you always, your little brother.
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