Victor Archibald ‘Vic’ Perrin is a valued friend of St Vincent’s who left a bequest in his Will in appreciation of the excellent care he and his beloved wife Carole received at St Vincent’s Hospitals.
A local of Paddington since birth, Vic played football, tended his garden with care and loved his cars, a VW Beetle and Zephyr Zodiac among his most prized personal vehicles. But it was trucks he was passionate about, BIG trucks. As a professional trucker, he drove all around Australia and was once named the winner of the “Best Kept Truck” award. He didn’t slow down in his retirement, committing himself to community service with the Sir Roden and Lady Cutler Foundation’s Foundation.
Vic was a self-made man, who bought the home in which he would live his whole adult life in 1969. He was affectionately dubbed the “Master of Rose Bay”, a local presence who checked in with everyone and was always ready to lend a hand or offer advice.
Vic was described as a humble gentleman “with chivalric morals, intelligent and strong”. This is the testimony of his one-time neighbour, Brad. Brad came to live next door to Vic when he was just 14 years old, a self-described semi-delinquent with serious male trust issues. When his mother remarried, he was somewhat apprehensive about moving in with his new stepfather, Pete. His barriers soon lowered as he developed a fondness Vic and his boisterous pooch, Megs. Brad recalls that, more than anyone, Vic made him feel welcome in what seemed like such a strange new environment and proved to be a loyal and trustworthy friend and mentor.
Vic was utterly devoted to Carole, his wife of 58 years, and he became her faithful carer when her health deteriorated due to dementia. He looked after her at home for nearly six years. Carole was admitted to St Vincent’s Private Hospital with a perforated bowel and passed away in 2022.
When diagnosed with cancer early in 2023, Vic was referred to another hospital, but he requested a transfer to St Vincent’s because he had been so impressed by the exceptional care Carole had received from Prof Richard Chye and his team. Ever-considerate, Vic ensured all his affairs were in order before his death, so as not to leave any concerns for his loved ones to sort out.
Vic chose to leave a bequest to St Vincent’s in gratitude for the care he received from Dr Michael Krasovitsky, medical oncologist and lead of the Kinghorn Cancer Centre Geriatric Oncology program at St Vincent’s Hospital; as well as from Dr Hannah Harrington, Palliative Care Specialist at Sacred Heart.
A bequest to the Foundation helps St Vincent’s hospitals fund essential and innovative equipment, research and clinical training. Or your bequest can support a department or clinical area you have a special interest in. Vic wanted his bequest to go to the hospital’s area of most need.
Remembering Vic, Brad quotes Viktor Frankl, who once wrote, “Each of us carries a unique spark of the divine, and each of us is also an inseparable part of the web of life”
My friend, you carry a unique spark of life and are an inseparable part of my journey in life.
If you want to protect your loved ones after your lifetime, and honour the causes that you care about, you need valid Will. If you choose to nominate St Vincent’s in your Will, your gift will ensure that St Vincent’s continues to provide the best care and treatment for patients, for generations to come.