Millvina Dean dies at the age of 97 (From Daily Echo)
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Millvina Dean dies at the age of 97
6:30am Monday 1st June 2009 in
-
- By Jon Reeve » Education Reporter
MILLVINA Dean, the last survivor of Titanic, died yesterday at the age of 97.
Miss Dean was just nine weeks old when the historic liner sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on her maiden transatlantic voyage from Southampton.
She died yesterday morning after being cared for at a nursing home in Woodlands, in the New Forest.
Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was born on February 2, 1912 and boarded the doomed ship with her parents Bertram Frank and Georgette Eva and her elder brother Bertram.
The family, who were third class passengers, were emigrating to Wichita, Kansas, where her father had hoped to open a tobacconist shop.
When the accident happened, her father felt the ship shudder and quickly told his family to get on deck.
Miss Dean, her mother and brother were among the first steerage passengers to escape the sinking liner, but Mr Dean was unable to get onto a lifeboat and perished in the disaster.
They returned to England aboard the Adriatic where "Millvina became quite a spectacle: that such a tiny baby could have came through the ordeal alive," according to Encyclopedia-Titanica.
Miss Dean's family returned to Southampton and she did not find out that she had been on board the vessel until she was eight and her mother was planning to remarry.
Earlier this month Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the film Titanic, donated cash to help pay Miss Dean's nursing home fees.
She was forced to auction off personal belongings and memorabilia associated with the sinking of the liner to help cover £3,000 per month for care.
Irish author Don Mullan, a friend of Miss Dean, launched the Millvina Fund to secure her future, and sold photographs of the pensioner to raise profits for the fund.
It is believed that Winslet, DiCaprio and director James Cameron donated £22,000.
Comments(21)
fatboy
says...
8:51pm Sun 31 May 09
I,ve had my fifteen minutes of fame, that was enough for me. That Leroy stole the show!
Glen Wiffen
says...
8:55pm Sun 31 May 09
Saintlygirl
says...
9:56pm Sun 31 May 09
saturn
says...
10:07pm Sun 31 May 09
dbuxey52
says...
10:39pm Sun 31 May 09
soton1980
says...
10:46pm Sun 31 May 09
eurogordi
says...
11:05pm Sun 31 May 09
It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy.
However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention?
The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009.
The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.
Arcane
says...
11:10pm Sun 31 May 09
Maybe they could use the remainder of the fund towards the Titanic Memorial??
fatboy
says...
11:13pm Sun 31 May 09
eurogordi wrote:Gosh................
My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.
....................
....................
....................
....................
...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
Lone Ranger
says...
8:45am Mon 1 Jun 09
I wonder what David Guest will do for free publicity now
hulla baloo
says...
8:51am Mon 1 Jun 09
Come on Echo, at least get the letters right.
bumblysaint
says...
10:33am Mon 1 Jun 09
If there's such a place or thing as
Heaven,hope her Dad
can be waiting there for her along with the rest of her family.Rest in Peace.
Kelsie
says...
10:35am Mon 1 Jun 09
RIP Millvina xXx
XRT
says...
12:27pm Mon 1 Jun 09
x x
Old Jester
says...
2:36pm Mon 1 Jun 09
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.
eurogordi wrote:Gosh................
My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.
....................
....................
....................
....................
...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
fatboy
says...
5:05pm Mon 1 Jun 09
Old Jester wrote:Sorry, I was'nt thinking. but "that'd be, more like" is not to precise either?
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.eurogordi wrote: My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.Gosh................ .................... .................... .................... .................... ...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
damehippy
says...
6:24pm Mon 1 Jun 09
Old Jester
says...
9:55pm Mon 1 Jun 09
fatboy wrote:Sorry fatboy, I was wrong, it should have been 133225 to 1. It was early in my part of the world when I wrote that and I hadn't had my first cup of tea!
Old Jester wrote:Sorry, I was'nt thinking. but "that'd be, more like" is not to precise either?
fatboy wrote:Wouldn't the probability for the two events be 365 squared? That'd be, more like 13,000 to 1.eurogordi wrote: My daughter and I were privileged to meet Millvina a few years ago when she was shopping in Totton. It was an amazing experience to speak with someone who was part of such a well known historic event and maritime tragedy. However, can I also point out a couple of rather intriquing facts that the Echo has failed to mention? The hull of 'Titanic' was launched on 31st May 1911 ... Millvina Dean, the last surviving passenger, died on 31st May 2009. The 'Titanic' began to sink shortly before midnight on 14th April 1912 ... Bertram Dean, Millvina's brother, died on 14th April 1992.Gosh................ .................... .................... .................... .................... ...........oh, and big deal! only a 365 to 1 chance of that happening then.
TitanCarpath
says...
10:58pm Mon 1 Jun 09
haisey
says...
10:43am Tue 2 Jun 09
David Haisman
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Saint Rob says...
8:49pm Sun 31 May 09