Tributes paid to Kettering hospital gardening legend Ralph Howe - one of the NHS' longest-serving employees - who has died

Tributes have been paid to much-loved Kettering General Hospital gardener, Ralph Howe, who has died in service – believed to be one of the longest serving employees in the NHS.

The 81-year-old had a stroke on June 8 at his home in Kettering and died later at Northampton General Hospital on the night of June 13.

Friends and colleagues at the hospital have paid tribute to him for tending the hospital’s 33-acre grounds through many years of painstaking work on its lawns, flower beds, borders, hedgerows and courtyards, and for being a friendly face always happy to chat with passing friends and colleagues.

Kettering General Hospital’s director of estates, David Pickett, said: “Ralph was a hard worker and always willing to go the extra mile and lend a helping hand. He was a very popular member of the team and a true inspiration to us all.

“He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and his legacy will live on. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ralph's family and friends at this difficult time.”

Ralph’s partner Margaret Osborne, 89, met him about eight years ago on a holiday coach trip when they sat next to each other. After the holiday they met up regularly on Ralph’s day off when he travelled over to her home in Daventry.

She said: “He was kind, caring, sociable and wonderful. He cared about everything and everybody and would do anything for you. He was the loveliest man I have ever known and I will miss him terribly.”

Groundskeeper Tom Murts worked closely with Ralph, he said: “He was the most honest and hard-working man I have ever known. He never took a sick day and never complained about anything.

“He was extremely knowledgeable about gardening and plants and knew an enormous amount including a lot of the Latin names. He preferred to work with his old tools rather than machines and like to do things by hand and do them properly.”

KGH’s Project Director, Strategic Estates, Ian Allen, has known Ralph for more than 30 years.

He said: “I will miss our chats, he was a charming man and a loyal servant to Kettering General Hospital through six decades of service.”

Deputy director of estates Craig Catterick, said: "Whenever I saw Ralph he was always happy in his work and always greeted me with ‘You all right Boy’.

“Ralph always had time to talk about anything that was related to gardening which I found very helpful on many occasions. He will be greatly missed by all his estates and facilities colleges.”

Born in Woodford, Ralph first started gardening with his father when he was about 10-years-old. While at Thrapston Secondary Modern School in 1955 he won the prize for the best allotment plot.

When he left school aged 14, he worked on a farm briefly. He was interviewed by KGH’s then head gardener and started work on May 25, 1959.

Talking about his early work in 2019 he said: “When I first started there were four of us and as well as maintaining all the flower and shrub beds and cutting the lawns we also had a huge vegetable field which provided all of the fresh vegetables for the hospital patients and staff.

“In those days we would pick the vegetables to order in the morning and deliver them in baskets on the wheelbarrows to the kitchen – where they would be on the patient’s plate at lunchtime.”

In 1961 when the hospital rapidly expanded with new wards and departments and the vegetable plots were discontinued, Ralph continued to work as part of a team of groundskeepers planting flowers, cutting hedges, tending lawns and looking after trees.

He was awarded an MBE in the 1997 for his services to healthcare proudly receiving his award from the Queen.

In 2009 he received an Excellence Award from the hospital for his long-standing dedication to his job, the same year he was nominated for an ‘ET’ Honour for his service to his local community.

At the time he said: “I think the ET Honours are a great way to recognise people who may otherwise be overlooked by the local community.

“I think the award is a nice way for local people to show their appreciation for others who have worked hard in the community.”

On July 5, 2018 Ralph was honoured by the hospital with a park bench and cherry tree in the hospital’s Pocket Park. A year later he received his hospital long-service certificate for 60 years’ service.

At the time he said: “I feel very honoured and lucky to have a job I love which has helped to keep me in pretty good health for all these years.

“I really enjoy planting flowers and shrubs and then maintaining them for all of our staff and patients to see. At the end of every week, I can always look back and have the satisfaction of knowing that I have made a difference to the hospital environment.

“I also love working outside – whatever the weather - and find the whole thing very rewarding.”

Ralph retired in 2006 but immediately returned to work doing the same job but on a part-time basis. He was at work the day before he had his stroke.

Pre-deceased by his brother Peter, Ralph leaves a sister Margaret Wilson, brother Geoff Howe, nephews Christopher and his wife Angela (deceased), Martyn and his wife Debbie, Paul and his wife Suzette, and niece Alyson Howe and her partner Colin.