Hundreds attend celebration of much-loved GP killed in car accident
THE life of a hugely respected and popular GP was celebrated at a special thanksgiving service in Brockenhurst attended by more than 300 people.
Dr Annie Baughan, who lived in Sway and died aged 61 in a crash on the A337 between Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst in June, was remembered at St Saviour’s Church.
Conducted by the Rev Chris Guinness, the service featured some of Annie’s favourite music, including the hymns Love Divine all Loves Excelling, The Lord’s My Shepherd and Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, all played by organist Richard Dingle.
There were special tributes by Annie’s husband Chris, daughter Emily and reflections by friend Simon Pennell and two GP colleagues, Karen Bentley and Will Howard, who urged people to adopt an attitude of “be more Annie” in her memory.
Emily said: “Mum knew the importance of family but had an expansive idea of what that was and who that was for.
“She made people comfortable and did not take herself too seriously. She was someone who, while being so well respected, laughed so much at herself.
"I don’t know anyone else like that. Mum built a really big life out of lots of small acts of extraordinary kindness, and touched the lives of so many.”
Annie’s sister Jane Franses gave a Bible reading while close family friend Rebecca Smith read parts of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s conversation with the Dalai Lama on ‘joy’.
As reported in the A&T, Annie had worked at New Milton Health Centre under her maiden name as Dr Rutherford for more than two decades before retiring last year.
She was the third woman in her family to become a GP – a fact of which she was incredibly proud.
She also set up or helped out at a host of local organisations, was a champion of mental health care and a passionate advocate of access to healthcare.
Annie had been a governor at St Luke’s Church of England Primary School in Sway, also regularly going into classes to help children read, and was actively involved in church youth groups in Brockenhurst and Sway.
She also ran a Tuesday evening group for youngsters, a knitting group in Brockenhurst, was part of the village choir Sing Sway and the welfare officer at Sway Cricket Club where Chris, a retired hospital consultant, is the chairman.
More recently she was a member of the Sway Welfare Action Group (SWAG) and had started helping out at the Society of St James charity, which assists those who are homeless and/or struggling with addiction.
She did all this while working and raising a contented family, including sons Jack and William.
The family have asked for any donations in Annie’s memory to be made to Save the Children or the Society of St James.
An inquest into Annie’s death heard she died of multiple injuries. A full hearing will be held later this year. Hampshire police has asked any witnesses to the accident to contact them on 101, quoting 44190195019.
