Tonight’s Good Sort is Ray Goddard, who spends every Tuesday volunteering at Lake Taupō Hospice.
The 100-year-old veteran, who served in the Navy during World War II, now spends his time among his beloved books as a volunteer stocking and maintaining the library.
“Sixty or 70 books on these shelves here are from my own home,” he said proudly.
The library is named after Goddard, who started it when the new Hospice building was constructed, and has been a stalwart among its dusty shelves ever since.
His second job is providing great company for the patients – but he has one rule.
“No talk at all about what their sickness is,” he said. “We just try and make it a general happy day for them.”
His boss, Julie Bunton, said Goddard is “very independent”.
“You can’t do anything for him,” she said.
At nearly 101, Goddard said he accepts his body has its limitations – but aims to volunteer as long as he is able to.
“Physically – well, to be frank – I’m stuffed,” he said.
But for now, he’s content to spend his time looking after his vast library, where he spends most of his time reading “daytime and night”.
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