Paul Ramsay Leaves Billions to Charity – the largest in Australia’s history GPHnews 5 Little wonder that the verse chosen for Paul’s memorial service was a reading about love in a letter from St Paul to the Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” A verse that so aptly described the Paul we all knew. Paul grew up in Bowral, New South Wales, the son of Oscar, a land surveyor and Mary. He is survived by his twin sister Anne and his brother Peter. In an interesting aside, his maternal grandfather was Sir Austin Chapman, the first Federal Member for Eden Monaro and a former Minister for Health. During his time as MP, Sir Austin won the battle to have the new Federal Capital in his own electorate and is acknowledged as the ‘Father of Canberra’. Just a few weeks before he died Paul celebrated 50 years in the private hospital industry at a function in Sydney. At that event, Managing Director Chris Rex paid tribute to “a wonderful Chairman, a true gentleman and a great friend”. “Paul Ramsay’s motto which has permeated the whole organisation over the decades has been: ‘Look after the patients; look after the staff and the rest will follow’,” Chris said. “Under his good guidance, Ramsay Health Care hospitals focus on maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety, being an employer of choice and operating the business according to “The Ramsay Way” philosophy: People Caring for People.” Paul will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, staff and doctors and anyone that knew him, throughout the world. For Ramsay Health Care, Paul wrote in the last The Ramsay Way, that he believed the next 50 years would be as good a journey as the first. “The Golden Age is before us, not behind us. Thank you, I love you and God Bless.” Paul Ramsay speaking at the 50th Anniversary of Ramsay Health Care. During his life, Paul had been a generous benefactor to dozens of charities and worthy causes and in death, he has left a philanthropic bequest of more than $3 billion to his personal foundation, the biggest single donation in Australia’s history. The Ramsay Board said in a statement released to the market on 2 May that the bulk of Paul’s estate would be “of enduring benefit to the Australian community”. Paul’s decision to leave the bulk of his wealth to charity was described by many as “an incredible act of generosity”. “In every way he was the epitome of the ethical capitalist,” said former Prime Minister John Howard speaking at Paul’s funeral in May. The Paul Ramsay Foundation will receive the vast majority of Paul’s controlling shareholding in Ramsay Health Care Limited and this will be retained on trust for the Foundation. The Foundation is administered and controlled by three Ramsay Health Care directors – Michael Siddle, Peter Evans and Tony Clark AM, all of whom have had a long term association with Paul. It was Paul’s intention that the Foundation remains a significant long term shareholder of Ramsay Health Care.
GPH News Winter 2014
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