Retired teacher leaves £100k to her neighbours
THEY lived next door to her for 30 years, helping out with the occasional spot of DIY and gardening, like many good neighbours across the country.
And while it’s said a little act of kindness goes a long way, Veronica and Peter Dewey were motivated by nothing more than affection for the retired music teacher who lived one door along.
But when Dorothy Brown died earlier this year at the age of 87, the Aberdeen couple were astonished to discover she had left them a £100,000 share of her £1.1million fortune.
Mrs Dewey and her husband, who now live in Seaford, East Sussex, said it was an ‘utter surprise’ when they learned of their unexpected windfall.
‘Dorothy was a great friend of ours for many years in Aberdeen,’ Mrs Dewey, 71, said.
‘To be honest, when we found out that Dorothy had left us this money, it was a total shock.
‘We were both very close to Dorothy and her companion, Margaret, but sadly Margaret died a number of years ago.
‘We had always tried to help them out though, doing bits of gardening or DIY, and then when Margaret passed we almost became like family to her.
‘She was such a lovely lady, very generous in nature and had an excellent sense of humour.’
Mrs Dewey and her husband, who acted as an emergency contact for Miss Brown, were surprised to find out she had built up such a large estate, adding:
‘She never ever talked about money and we didn’t expect to be given anything at all.’
Miss Brown, originally from Banchory, Aberdeenshire, also left £40,000 to her carers and other neighbours, while a further £100,000 will go to the church where she played the organ six decades ago.
The rest of her estate will be divided between charities, including the Aberdeen International Youth Festival and a local cats and dogs’ home, inspired by her passion for music and animals.
The Reverend Tony Stephen, of the Banchory West Parish Church, where Miss Brown played the organ in the 1950s, said: ‘Dorothy’s donation was very generous and really came out of the blue to us.’
Helen Macdonald, from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, said: ‘In light of the difficult circumstances in Aberdeen – our situation with our sponsors has changed – it’s people like Dorothy we are incredibly grateful to.
‘She is leaving a legacy to the next generation of young performers.’