Baroness Masham of Ilton - Sue to her friends - and I first met in the early 1990s when I was provost and then later, Dean of Bradford, and she lived in North Yorkshire, and her husband James was a Member of Parliament for a Yorkshire constituency.
We had mutual friends, and we often shared meals and conversations together in London or in their home near Ripon. At that time, I was a consultant and trustee of the Acorn Christian Healing Trust, which originated in Scarborough. At the same time, Sue was involved in cross Parliamentary groups investigating the rising crisis of HIV/Aids from the early 1980s. This she continued to explore until her recent death.
When I became a Director and later Chairman of Mildmay in the mid-2000s, Sue was already a working Patron of Mildmay and kept its work as a main priority of interest as we developed projects in East Africa, especially in Uganda and Kenya. She was also a major supporter of Mildmay developing the new hospital from its two former sites to the present site in Shoreditch in the East End of London.
She was a frequent visitor and was influential in many of our major and minor fundraising events and set up a major event at 10 Downing Street during the Premiership of David Cameron.
As Patron and the longest-serving crossbench Member of the House of Lords, she was present in the House with Lord Fowler and Lord Darzi in late January 2023, promoting the current work of Mildmay.
Mildmay presently works with patients living with HIV/Aids and provides step-down care for the Homeless and those with various addictions.
Her positive support, integrity, enthusiasm, and sensitive debate and dialogue will be missed by all, especially those whose voices are never heard when others make decisions on their behalf.
As a long-time supporter of Mildmay, may her counsel and wisdom, which has been greatly appreciated, be remembered for all time.
The Mildmay family, in its entirety, offers their condolences with the assurance of their prayers to the immediate family. May they be upheld by the grace of the living Christ of which she was a shining ambassador.
May she rest in peace as her memory and life’s work lives with that same integrity she adhered to and rise in glory.
John S. Richardson
Vicar of Maidstone
Chairman of Mildmay