Eileen Proctor

Eileen Proctor (née Field; 11 August 1916 – 3 December 2007) was an Irish woman, the founder and president of the National Association of Widows in Ireland (NAWI).[2][3]

Eileen Proctor
Memorial plaque to Proctor, St Stephen's Green
Born
Eileen Field

(1916-08-11)August 11, 1916
London, United Kingdom
DiedDecember 3, 2007(2007-12-03) (aged 91)
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Burial placeMount Venus Cemetery, Rathfarnham[1]
NationalityIrish
Occupationseamstress, psychiatric nurse, telephonist
Spouse(s)Proctor
Children4

Early life

Eileen Field was born in London in 1916. She worked as a seamstress and psychiatric nurse, and as a telephonist during the London Blitz.

National Association of Widows in Ireland

Proctor was widowed in December 1962 when her husband was knocked down by a bus while cycling home from work. In 1966 she wrote a letter to The Irish Press seeking support from other widows. The National Association of Widows in Ireland was founded in Dublin in January 1967.[4] Proctor served as its president until her death in 2007.[5][6]

Lobbying by the NAWI introduced more benefits for widows, including an electricity allowance; free TV licence, free phone rental, a "Living Alone" allowance, double pension at Christmas, a supplementary benefit for pensioners and those on small, fixed incomes; and widows of Easter Rising veterans.[7][8][9] Proctor won a People of the Year Award in 1977.[10]

References
  1. "Death Notice of Eileen PROCTOR (née Field)". rip.ie.
  2. Bourke, Angela (October 21, 2002). The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing. NYU Press. ISBN 9780814799079 – via Google Books.
  3. Cummins, Mary. "Ostracise men of violence to prevent creation of more widows, women told". The Irish Times.
  4. "NAWI - National Association of Widows in Ireland". www.nawi.ie.
  5. "Government to restore benefits for widows". The Irish Times.
  6. "Widows to hold annual seminar in Wexford". WexfordPeople.ie.
  7. "Eileen Proctor". Independent.ie.
  8. "Widows seeks reversal of disability cuts". The Irish Times.
  9. Connolly, Linda (November 12, 2001). The Irish Women's Movement: From Revolution to Devolution. Springer. ISBN 9780230509122 – via Google Books.
  10. The Irish Times (Tuesday, June 21, 1983), page 6.
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