Memorial bench unveiled for hospital volunteer

Irene Dean (left) said her husband loved volunteering at the hospital

A former merchant navy captain has been remembered with a bench at the hospital he volunteered at.

Barry Dean started helping out at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in 2009 while on leave to spend time with his wife, Irene, who also volunteered.

Together they served countless cups of tea and cake in the Volunteers' Coffee Lounge, as Mr Dean shared stories of his adventures around the world.

Following his death in 2024, a memorial bench has been unveiled in the lounge garden to help people remember him.

Born in Lewisham, London, Mr Dean left the London Nautical School in 1968 to begin his career at sea, rising through the ranks to become a captain in 1986.

It was during shore leave in 1971 that he met Mrs Dean at the Mission to Seamen in Wilton, near Redcar.

They married two years later, settled in Guisborough and had two children.

Barry Dean was on shore leave in 1971 when he met his wife near Redcar

Georgina Oakley, Volunteers' Coffee Lounge manager, said he was a "lovely man - caring, methodical, and always attentive to the little details that made a big difference".

"We're truly grateful for everything he did for us, and we're honoured that this bench now offers a quiet place for others to remember him, and for Irene and her family to feel his presence here still," she said.

Mrs Dean said: "He had a lot of time for people, I think that came from his job and he loved being here - we have a lot of happy memories.

"Barry was a good listener, so please take a seat and tell him your stories."