It was the year the Beatles gave up touring.  Lester B. Pearson was the Prime Minister of Canada and the CBC began broadcasting in colour.  The Viet Nam war dominated the news.

It was 1966 and it was also the year Beverley Patterson began working at Queensway General Hospital.

Officially retired in 2007, she has remained a casual employee, making her the longest serving Trillium employee beginning a career at Queensway.

“My first job was in housekeeping, cleaning the nursery in the maternity wing.”  In 1972, she became a darkroom technician, working in the X-Ray department.   Her last 3 years as a full-time employee were spent in the film library, making CDs, scanning requisitions and filing.

“I love it here and everyone knows me.  I’m a people person; I like to interact with people and help people, so working in a hospital was perfect.  When I started, I was the only black person on the staff.

“I was 19,” she adds.  “Now I’m 62 and I hope to keep on working as long as they keep on calling me.”