Rebecca and Matthew Rossiter Memorial Fund

Two Young Lives have Changed the World

Cn 24 February 2002 our children Rebecca (age 18) and Matthew (age 16) Rossiter died after their car was in collision with a Mercedes camper at the foot of the High Cross Inn in Broughton-in-Furness Cumbria. Rebecca died at the scene whilst Matthew died a week later in Salford’s Hope hospital intensive care unit. Dean, Rebecca’s 17-year-old boyfriend who was a front seat passenger survived with minor injuries.

As parents we do not feel angry about what happened as the two of them have changed the world and have touched so many people in so many different ways. Since the accident we have experienced nothing but love and support. This could never be described as a tragic waste of young lives since Rebecca and Matthew have achieved so much and brought joy to so many. It is not longevity that is important but what is done during one’s life that counts.

The effect on the community was remarkable as evidenced by the attendance at their funeral at Our Lady and St. James Millom where some 600 people gathered in the Church and a further 200 stood outside in the sunshine to pay their respects and celebrate Rebecca and Matthew’s lives. Indeed the love in this community was clear to Mandy and I during the week spent in intensive care when we felt it flowing down the M6 motorway from Cumbria to Manchester. We have received over 700 cards and masses are being said across the country for them. Mandy teaches at Haverigg prison whilst I am a prison governor and not only did prison officers act as bearers for the funeral we received flowers and cards from both individual and groups of prisoners and they have also made financial donations.

Rebecca Marie Therese was born at 23.50 hours on Saturday 12 November 1983 in Wordsley Dudley west Midlands. The night she was born was the most wonderful night of our lives and I must have been the most boring new dad to our friends for some considerable time. Indeed the nursery nurse in the maternity unit had to pries Rebecca out of my hands, as I could not bear to let go. Mandy was far more competent than I, given her training as a nursery nurse, and it was amusing to see the reactions of the maternity staff to a new mother feeding and changing her first borne in a matter of moments. Rebecca was what one would call a good baby sleeping and eating appropriately. She always had a big grin and was full of vitality loving playgroup, nursery and then school.

Matthew Barry was also born on a Saturday, 22 December 1985, at 08.20 hours in Beverly East Yorkshire. This too was a joyous occasion as Mandy and I were together with the midwife and the tape was playing the Moody Blues song “In Search of a Lost Chord”. This was quite appropriate as Matthew in contrast to his sister never slept and was awkward with his food. Life was always a challenge to Matt, as he later liked to be called, he was happiest in muck and loved to get to grips with things. My mother would fondly remind me of the trying times I gave to her when recounting the latest episode from Matt’s happenings.

In 1990 the children were faced with their biggest challenge when we moved to the Lake District and settled in Foxfield, a small hamlet in Cumbria. Matt and Rebecca amused their teachers back in St. John’ RC primary school in Beverly by informing them that we had bought a house with a free dog. This was true as during our househunting we fell in love with a Victorian terraced house that had been a happy family home to thirteen children and one collie pup called Emma. We proudly acquired house and dog together.

So began a whole new chapter in our lives as Rebecca and Matthew went to St James RC primary school in Millom Cumbria some 10 miles from home across mountain roads. Much to their chagrin they were often transported by one of their teachers until Matt in particular decided he was independent enough to take the train. They both led active lives with Rebecca being very keen on horse riding and Matt into sport and mountain bikes. They were both members of 5th Millom scout troop achieving their chief scout awards and enjoyed trips to France and Italy. Both won awards at the South Cumbria Music Festival for singing and public speaking. Matthew gave a poetry rendition that was astounding in terms of its delivery but was mortified when the judge from the Poets Society in London, awarding him 100%, said she could envisage Matthew at the dispatch box in parliament. He said “but I want to be an airline pilot”. They were both alter servers at Our Lady and St. James and indeed Fr. Frank Osman was a close confidant. Frank said Rebecca is the only 17 year old girl to have ever invited a Catholic priest to her 18th birthday party.

They both attended Ulverston Victoria High school where Matt was to sit GCSE exams this summer and Rebecca left last year after GCSE’s to continue her studies at Barrow 6th Form College taking A levels as well as persevering with a re-sit on math’s. Rebecca had attended the “Take your daughters to work day” at HM Young Offenders Institution Lancaster Farms where I was Deputy Governor and she was hoping to follow a career in the Probation Service. Matthew had work experience in the offices of Rathbone CI, a training company in Barrow and was keen to work with computers. They both took an active interest in current affairs debating fiercely the rights of the individual and fought for the underdog. Rebecca became a volunteer with VIDES working in Glasgow and was due to work in Newcastle this Easter. It was Rebecca’s dream to go to Kenya next summer.

Rebecca always had a smile and a kind word for adults and children. As Fairy Splint Spark in the local amateur dramatic pantomime she was amazing. This was also her first drunken experience. Her 18th in November 2001 was a party to remember especially for dad as I picked up an enormous bar bill. She had a gift of knowing just how to bring happiness and was most loved by Dean her boyfriend who on Valentines Day bought her 20 red roses. She passed her driving test only a few weeks before the accident and was about to take delivery of a new car I had ordered for her that week.

Matthew was a real campaigner for social justice. His first claim to fame was at primary school where he is the only child to have ever argued with the Head Maureen Hughes who admits he sometimes won but was never cheeky. Matthew’s favorite words were “It’s not fair…. I think it should be done this way”. Matthew was always trying to save the world and everybody and everything in it. From his earliest days it was said of Matt that he could hold a mature conversation well above his years. He had a wonderful and mischievous sense of humor. His teachers found him a challenge but a delight, as he was never one to do harm. This was a young man who broke hearts in love affairs and was getting to grips with life. I was heartened to hear from Matt’s friends that he died leaving a bar bill unpaid at an establishment that must remain nameless given he was only sixteen.

Rebecca and Matthew will always be with all of us. We consider ourselves blessed to have had the privilege of being their parents. We will send both of them to Africa to continue their drive for good as a fund has been established. The Rebecca and Matthew Rossiter Memorial Fund has been set up with Natwest Bank for the sole purpose of providing a facility such as a schoolroom in Africa and to progress the work of VIDES promoting development.

Barry Rossiter 7 May, 2002

Note:

Vides is a non-governmental organisation that operates at a national and international level. It began in1987 in Italy and has spread to other countries in Asia Africa Latin America and Europe. VIDES UK is a registered charity no. 1015097.

It promotes projects that help development; it sets up educational courses for development; it offers voluntary service for young people; its projects vary but may include teaching, working in dispensaries, outreach work or working with street children.