Eddie Askew; general secretary of the Leprosy Mission

[Hyfler/Rosner]

From Times Online
November 7, 2007

Eddie Askew
Artistic former general secretary of the Leprosy Mission who
radically modernised the charity and raised money for it by
publishing books
As general secretary of the Leprosy Mission,1974-1987,
Albert Dennis Askew radically modernised the charity while
also extensively developing its African wing.

A gifted writer and artist, he also published 17 illustrated
books, which have since raised more than Ł2million for the
Leprosy Mission (TLM).

Albert Dennis Askew was born in Nottingham in 1927. His
parents were committed members of the Salvation Army. After
excelling at school he originally intended to study zoology
at university, but his plans were thwarted by the Second
World War. While serving with the Navy Medical Corps, he was
introduced to hospital care, an exposure which influenced
him deeply.

On returning, Askew decided against pursuing science and
instead chose to be a teacher, studying English and the
teaching of art at St John's College, York. After
graduating, he and his wife Barbara - who he married in
1950 - attended an exhibition on leprosy which had a
profound effect on them both. In the following weeks he was
unable to shift the images from his head.

Also feeling a new inclination towards missionary work, he
and Barbara applied to the Leprosy Mission. Both committed
Christians, they believed this was how they should best live
out their faith.

They then travelled to India, where they served with TLM for
15 years. Based in Purulia, West Bengal, Askew was initially
principal of a school for children suffering from leprosy.
Two years later he was running the whole 600-bed home and
hospital. He loved both the work and the heavily monkey
populated region.

In 1950 leprosy sufferers often became severely disabled as
the bacteria attacked the nerves and the extremities. By the
time Askew retired, however, Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) had
been introduced while the stigma of leprosy victims was
slowly disappearing.

In 1965 the Askews left Purulia to give their daughters an
English education. On return Eddie Askew joined TLM's
International Office in London. In 1966 he was a founding
member of the global federation of anti-leprosy
organisations - now called ILEP. He also helped to establish
ALERT (All Africa Leprosy and Rehabilitation Training
Centre) in Ethiopia.

Askew became general secretary of TLM in 1974. As
international director he was a progressive leader who set
about modernising many of the out-of-date features of the
British-based charity. He made the funding bodies more
unified, introduced training schemes for staff and began a
regular monthly newsletter. Combined with a good sense of
humour he possessed a down-to-earth faith characterised by a
hatred of Christian jargon and of excessive religiosity. He
travelled widely with TLM, visiting missionaries and
developing work in areas including Uganda, Bhutan, Papua New
Guinea and Indonesia.

Later in life his love for art was realised to great effect.
In 1982 he published A Silence and a Shouting, an
illustrated collection of reflections. Over the next 20
years myriad other titles followed including No Strange Land
(1987), Facing the Storm (1989), his memoirs Edge of
Daylight (2000), and Dabbling with Ducks (2007).

In 2000 he was appointed OBE in the Queen's 2000 Millennium
Honours list for "services to leprosy relief".

He is survived by his two daughters.

Eddie Askew, OBE, general secretary of the Leprosy Mission,
artist and writer, was born on May 28, 1927. He died on
September 27, aged 80

--
Visit www.aodeadpool.com