Queen Honours Yvonne Rey

Retired Nurse Allison Yvonne Rey of Little Harbour, Anguilla, has been honoured on the Official Birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Second with the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for community services.

Mrs. Rey entered the nursing profession in St. Kitts in October 1961 and served at the Cunningham Hospital until 1966 before returning to Anguilla where she continued her career at the Cottage Hospital and the Princess Alexandra Hospital. She was trained in Midwifery at the Holberton Hospital in Antigua; in Principles of Nursing Administration at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados and obtained a diploma in Hospital and Health Services Administration at the South Bank Polytechnic in London.

She has had attachments at the Edward V11 Hospital, the Greenish District Hospital and the School of Nursing in the United Kingdom as part of her management training. In addition, she attended many short training courses, workshops and conferences in the Caribbean region and Canada which contributed to her professional development.

Her appointments over the years included Staff Nurse/Midwife, Senior Staff Nurse/Midwife; Ward Sister; Senior Nursing Officer/Matron; and Principal Nursing Officer, the latter being the highest post which she held before her retirement from the Anguilla Public Service in May 1998. During her last year she served as Health Services Administrator and after retiring she was called back to serve in that position for an additional year. In the recommendations and testimonials written on her behalf, the highly experienced former health professional was commended for having “brought to the nursing profession a sense of commitment, dedication and loyalty.”

Despite her busy schedule, Nurse Rey devoted much time to the Girl Guide Movement in which she served from an early age. She became Deputy Guide Commissioner and eventually Commissioner – an appointment she held from 1994-2002.

At the Queen Birthday Parade on June 16, she was congratulated by many persons for the honour bestowed on her.

Yvonne Rey