Passing of the first Catholic to become a Bahá'í in Northern Ireland
Christine Wemyss (neé Leatham) was born in Carmarthen, Wales on 17 August 1944. Raised in Wales, she subsequently moved to Northern Ireland where she became one of the very few Catholics in the 1960s to study nursing at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. There she met two young medical students who taught her the Faith, Beman Khosravi and Keith Munro. She became the first Catholic to accept the Bahá’í Faith in Northern Ireland. She was close friends with the Holmlunds and the Whitesides, acting as a bridesmaid at of their weddings.
After moving to the Elmbridge community in England, Christine met Ian Wemyss in 1977 while giving a fireside talk. In fact he declared that night! Their friendship blossomed and they were married in March of 1978 Christine subsequently returned, part-time, to work as a SRN in residential homes for the elderly with complex needs. She is remembered for the respect she held for each person, irrespective of their level of disability and for her ability to see beyond to the beauty of each soul.
Christine's funeral was held in the chapel at Pershore cemetery on 26 July 2008. She is survived by her husband Ian and two children.
CKM
Christine as bridesmaid at the wedding of Marie and Eddie Whiteside. Also shown is Jamshid Arjomandi
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