A Lake District man who dedicated over a decade of his life to volunteering for the Great North Air Ambulance has died at the age of 63.
The charity has paid tribute to Bruce Evans, of Windermere, who began volunteering after taking part in the Chillswim event in Windermere to raise money for the charity.
Over the years he had delivered several talks to schools and community groups in Cumbria, helped out at bucket collections and summer events, as well as emptying hundreds of the charity’s collection tins on a weekly basis.
Before Mr Evans was a volunteer, he spent his years as a service man in the Royal Navy working on bomb disposal. After taking early retirement he decided it was time to do something more fulfilling with his time and linked up with the charity.
In January 2017, following a routine blood test, Mr Evans found out he had terminal cancer.
He was diagnosed with several terminal cancers, including one in his bones which meant he had mobility problems and would often walk using crutches.
Despite this setback, Mr Evans was determined to continue volunteering as it gave him a reason to get out and meet people, which was his favourite part of the role.
He continued to divide his time between Ulverston, Grasmere, Windermere, Ambleside and Kendal and built lasting relationships with a whole host of different people.
In recognition of his hard work and dedication to the charity, in August 2020 he was invited to fly in GNAAS’ newest aircraft, The Guardian of the North II, when it was being relocated from Leeds Bradford Airport to the charity’s HQ near Eaglescliffe.
He was met with a round of applause from charity staff as the helicopter landed and described the experience as superb.
Mr Evans died earlier this month.
David Stockton, chief executive officer of the service, said: “We were saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved volunteer Bruce. He was a character and will be fondly remembered for his sense of humour and many comical hats.
“He was also very selfless and his dedication to supporting GNAAS was beyond admirable. Bruce will be a huge miss and our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go to his family and friends.”
A funeral service will be held on Thursday May 25 at 2pm at Beetham Hall Crematorium.
