Leeds nonagenarian's £62,000 gift to charity

Nonagenarian Phyllis Sangster has left a precious gift of more than £62,000 to Alzheimer's Research UK in her will after she passed away at the age of 91.

Phyllis, who lived in Ilkley, pledged a gift to the UK’s leading dementia research charity after devotedly caring for her husband of 53-years, Alex, also known as Sandy, for more than 15 years following his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

Phyllis’ love for dancing meant she met the love of her life by chance at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool while he was on leave from the Royal Air Force.

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They married just a few months later and spent many happy years together.

Her close friend and neighbour Beryl Hammill explained Phyllis’ motivation to leave a gift in her will to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

She said: “They were both looking forward to their retirement together until one day, Alex, who was a retired plumber, had taken a boiler apart when he realised he couldn’t remember how to put the parts back together.

“Phyllis returned home to find him distraught.

“Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with dementia and thankfully the disease did not progress quickly allowing him to continue driving for a while, something he loved to do. “Phyllis and Alex loved to go for drives and went up to Scotland for trips away as Alex was from Aberdeen.

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Bery said: “Phyllis told me that Alzheimer’s had robbed them of their retirement and said if she could prevent anyone going through what she had been through she would.”

Joanne Fearne-Green, Legacy Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We are so grateful to Phyllis for remembering Alzheimer’s Research UK in her will.

“Her gift of £62,400 will help bring our scientists closer to finding new ways to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.”