Passing of city care legend mourned

ONE of Townsville’s most inspirational community pioneers, Loris Klumpp, nee Brown, has passed away in Brisbane. She was 93.

Much of her life devoted to service to Townsville community.

In 1958, linking her love for nursing with her service as a methodist Sunday school superintendent, she was one of the main instigators in establishing the Townsville Blue Nursing service, now known as Blue Care.

As well as being part of the original management committee, Ms Klumpp fundraised, transported nurses to visit patients, and administered injections. After 33 years of service she was presented with life membership. Concurrently, she served as Sister of the Order of St John, lecturing in home nursing. For this, she received a special award from the Governor of Queensland, Sir Walter Campbell, in 1986.

At the same time, Ms Klumpp volunteered with the Australian Red Cross Blood Bank, Uniting Church Garden Settlement Old Peoples Home (committee member), and Rotary Inner Wheel (president).

She was the wife of William (Bill) Klumpp (deceased), who, with his brother Harry (deceased), started manufacturing Coca-cola in Townsville for the first time in 1955.

Ms Klumpp witnessed the crash of a Catalina flying boat in Cleveland Bay in front of her family home on the Strand, next door to where the Watermark restaurant now stands.

She is survived by daughter Diane and son Peter, son-inlaw Russ, daughter-in-law Dorothy, four grandsons, Rod, Chris, Arron and Shane, and nine great-grandchildren. was the