LEGACY GIFT TO VICTORIA HOSPICE
In the summer of 1942, an extraordinary opportunity would bring together three young women for an adventure of a lifetime.
As WWII’s Battle of the Atlantic intensified, men were required for sea duty, and this left many shore duty positions to be filled. To facilitate this, senior officers were dispatched from England to establish the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS), commonly referred to as the Wrens.
They toured Canada interviewing applicants between the ages of 18 and 49. Lavinia Vin Crane, Elsie Michael and Alice
Ruddy Adams were accepted, and from that point forward, their lives would forever be intertwined.
Vin, Elsie and Alice became members of the Canadian Naval Intelligence Service, intercepting and recording messages from German naval stations, ships and submarines. Their diligent efforts helped contribute to the successful outcome of the war.
In the years following their service together, the bond between them would remain strong. They each took very different paths but reunited during their retirement in Victoria. When Elsie became ill with cancer in 1998, she was cared for at home until her final three weeks. Admitted to the Victoria Hospice Inpatient Unit, she received round-the-clock care for pain and symptom management.
Vin and Alice came to see her daily and were so pleased to see she was comfortable and positive in every visit. “Ruddy, you can have anything you want here,” Elsie had shared. “I said I wanted some ice cream and it arrived within minutes!” Alice recalls Elsie’s relief that she could stay until her final day, safe in the knowledge that her needs would be attended to.
In their last visit, Elsie grabbed Alice’s hand and said, “Ruddy, I’m going home today.” She died peacefully a short time later.
Vin and Alice were so deeply touched by the compassion shown to Elsie that they each became donors to Victoria Hospice. Unbeknownst to each other, they also established legacy gifts in their wills. When Vin died in April 2017, her gift was realized, and her final act of compassion is now helping to ensure Hospice care continues to be available in our community.
Alice, now 96, remembers her friends as strong and dedicated women with a bold outlook. She says with a fond smile and a twinkle in her eye, “They were like family — no, they were more than sisters.”