Odette Taylor

Ive only just heard of Odette passing which has both shocked and saddened me. A beautiful person inside & out a joy to work with . A caring dedicated nurse manager . When she was a member of my team at Ringway Mews Care home wythenshawe back in the 90’s . Taken into Our Lords tender care truly a beautiful soul RIP. My very sincere condolences to her family.

I worked with Odette as an active case manager in Ardwick, central Manchester. Odette and I had a complex, deep friendship and respect for each other. Odette and I have such different approaches to work, life and Nursing - and she taught me so much. As a nurse with less experience than Odette, I gained a perspective and insight from her that was enlightening. For a long time it was like we spoke a different language, we had different worldly views - and we really put each other through some tests. through our mutual persistence and curiosity eventually we realised we actually had similar core values/morals. That base of mutual respect lead to in-depth, and explorative conversations around love, family, nursing, the NHS, the privatisation of healthcare, limitations/ and expectations, health, diversity and interior design! Odette's soul was timeless. She truly shaped me personally and my nursing profession. When I left working with Odette, she threw me a leaving party - I will forever be thankful for her for this. I felt so special, unique and loved - and she organised everyone buying me a nutribullet (which she knew i wanted), which I used daily still! She also knew where my favourite lake was, and gave me a print of it. Odette was thoughtful, thought provoking and best of all - a bit cheeky! we used to sit in meetings, and give each other knowing looks - which we would then giggle about later, or sometimes get caught doing mid meeting! Rest painless and in peace Odette - thank you for being part of my life. Your eternal friend, Katie x

I Remember working with Odette in the Active Case Management service and also referring patient cases to her in her role as a Parkinson's Specialist Nurse. Odette was a fabulous Nurse who cared very deeply for her patients and strived to do her very best to support them. Odette had a keen mind and was always interested in understanding how things worked and how they could be made better. She enjoyed working with patients with complex needs and looking at ways to ensure they had enough support. She was passionate about supporting patients with Parkinson's and held teaching sessions with staff, to help bring about learning and understanding of patient needs. She really enjoyed her job. She talked about her mum and how proud she was of her nephews. At that time she talked about faith, art, life drawing and her new bathroom and debating wether she should purchase a new Ipad. We debated all sorts of things about work, life and the world. We talked about politics, philosophy and even Father Christmas! As a colleague you could count on Odette to be calm and professional in her approach. She was a lovely lady and will be sadly missed by all her colleagues and patients x

Such a kind, calming person with a passion for her job and love for those in her care. She will be greatly missed by so many friends and colleagues. xx

Out of sight not mind Odette. Your winning smile, Your calm voice, Your kindness in manner and person; You shared to People with Parkinson's their loved ones and your colleagues will be everlasting... Patsy Cotton Greater Manchester Neurosciences Centre

I came to know Odette by meeting with her to provide professional support and advice. She was a very gentle person who was passionate about making a difference to people with parkinsons. Her death is so sad and underlines the importance of being vaccinated against Covid. My thoughts are with her family at this sad time.

I got to know Odette over the past couple of years whlist working as a Physiotherapist on the Falls Team at Alex Park HC. She would "Hot Desk" in our office and we had some wonderful conversations and not all about work ! I still cannot believe she is not with us anymore and that we have lost such a lovely, caring, dedicated nurse who had so much more to offer her patients. My condolences to all Odette's family at this very sad time. XX

We were deeply saddened to hear of Odette’s death. Everyone at Parkinson’s UK is thinking of her family, friends, colleagues and the patients she cared for so well, at this incredibly difficult time. From the moment we met Odette, her passion and caring qualities shone through. She was the person who really established the Parkinson's nurse service in Central Manchester, creating an open and inclusive service for people who until 2017 had no access to a dedicated nurse service. From the start, people told us how they felt included and supported in their care and no longer alone. Whilst an NHS employee throughout, Odette epitomised the values of Parkinson's UK: she always put people with Parkinson's at the centre of her work, and she was pioneering in her approach, reaching out to and uniting the diverse communities across Central Manchester. Above all, she was driven by a desire to deliver the very best service for people with Parkinson’s. Odette has left a lasting legacy. It was her hard work and dedication in establishing the current service across central Manchester. She will be remembered by people with Parkinson's, carer's, family member's and staff across Manchester and the wider Parkinson's nurse community. And at Parkinson’s UK, we won’t forget the role she played for members of the Parkinson’s community in the North West. Katherine Crawford Director of Services and Rowan Wathes Associate Director of the UK Parkinson's Excellence Network on behalf of Parkinson's UK