In the spring of 2023, Gwyneth was living her life to the full, with no symptoms or signs of anything wrong. She was painting her wonderful watercolour landscapes, singing with the Brompton-on-Swale Ladies Choir, and walking the hills with the Swaledale Outdoor Club. Together with her husband Richard, she had recently been involved in saving their village pub, turning it into a hub for locals.
They had been married since 1976, nearly five decades of shared adventures and share two children and two much-loved grandchildren. From hiking the Wainwrights to travelling across Australia, Sri Lanka, and Cuba, just to name a few, their retirement was as full as all the years before. Gwyneth painted. Richard fished. They celebrated life in every way.
So, when Gwyneth was suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 2023, it came as a terrible shock. There had been no signs, just one last beautiful cruise through the fjords of Norway in 2021, where they saw the Northern Lights together.
By August, just a few months later, Gwyneth very sadly died at home, with Richard by her side.
Thanks to the care of Herriot Hospice Homecare, Richard and the family were supported through those final, precious weeks. “They made it possible for Gwyneth to be at home, where she wanted to be’’ Richard says.
After Gwyneth died, Richard found comfort in walking. There are 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District, he and Gwyneth had completed them all.
“I am now walking them all again and I am down to just 42,” Richard says, “now, I walk them for both of us.”
Gwyneth’s daughter, Elaine, started a JustGiving fund from which, in Spring 2024, donations of £1,600 were made to MacMillan and Herriot Hospice Homecare, and in June 2025, the family hosted an art exhibition at The Travellers Rest in Skeeby, Richmond alongside friend and Landlady Nicola, selling some of Gwyneth’s paintings. It raised a further £1,250, which again was shared between Macmillan and Herriot Hospice Homecare.
But Richard wanted to do more. When he read in our newsletter about his local solicitor ‘Scott Wright’s’ offering free Will making appointments in exchange for donations to Herriot Hospice Homecare, he realised he could make a lasting difference. He decided to update his Will and include a gift to Herriot Hospice Homecare.
“I want others to have what Gwyneth had, dignity, care, and peace,” he says, “leaving a gift in my Will is my way of keeping her legacy alive.”
Richard now continues their shared journey: going walking in Austria and Spain and ticking off the last of the Wainwrights.
In loving memory of Gwyneth Wright.
If you’ve been inspired by Richard and Gwyneth’s story, you too can make a lasting impact by including a gift in your Will to Herriot Hospice. Find out more about gifts in Wills here.
