Lucy Clay - Fanling Babies Home

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1917 - Lucy Clay born in London

1934 - Nanny training at Craig College

1936 - Began the nursing program at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children

1940 - Studied general nursing at Mildmay Mission Hospital

1943 - Studied midwifery at Rotten Row Hospital

1946 - Attended Redcliffe Missionary Training College and studied Cantonese

1948 - Fanling Babies Home Assistant

1951 - Fanling Babies Home Superintendent

1966 - Pinehill Babies Home Superintendent

1977 - Retired and returned to England

1995 - Last visit to Hong Kong

2004 - Miss Clay passes away in England

Miss Lucy Clay dedicated her life to the care of helping others less fortunate. She was born in East London during the summer of 1917 to parents who were Salvation Army officers.

Miss Clay was always an excellent student with a strong faith. She attended a Salvation Army Sunday school. Then as a teenager, she attended a Baptist Church Sunday School.

Her early interest in child care led her at nearly 17 years old to Craig College where she trained to become a nanny. She then became an under nurse for a wealthy family. From 1936 to 1940, Miss Clay attended the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children and received her certificate for nursing children.

Miss Clay studied all aspects of nursing to prepare for missionary work in China. From 1940 through 1943, she went to Mildmay Mission Hospital to study general nursing which trained her in adult care. In 1943, Miss Clay studied midwifery in Glasgow's"Rottenrow" Maternity Hospital. She then returned and worked as a district nurse at Mildmay Hospital. In 1946, she went to Redcliffe Missionary Training College for missionary training. At the same time, she studied Cantonese at the London School of Oriental Languages.

Miss Clay, a registered nurse and trained missionary, was thrilled to become the Assistant at Fanling Babies Home under Miss Mildred Dibden. She stepped off the train at Fanling in November 1948. Miss Clay became known as "Auntie Kay" to the kids and took over the care of the tiny babies. When Miss Dibden resigned in 1951, Miss Clay became the Superintendent of Fanling Babies Home.

As a faithful and humble servant of God, Miss Clay dedicated herself to raising the children in a family-like Christian environment. Besides food and shelter, she endeavored to provide proper education for the children, place children with adoptive families and help those who weren't adopted find gainful employment. Many a student and even children of staff members studied nursing in HK or abroad based on her recommendations and/or financial assistance.

Every five years, Miss Clay was allowed a long holiday to return to England but she used those times to visit churches in the U.S.A., Canada and UK to do fund-raising for Fanling Babies Home.

Miss Clay retired and returned to England at the end of 1977. She continued to visit Hong Kong often. When Miss Lucy Clay passed away in 2004, memorial services were held in England and Hong Kong to commemorate someone so dear to many.