Photo: Joyce Wessel (second from the left), with Ione Pridham, Vi Schultz and Pat Jensen.

We are blessed to share the story of Joyce Wessel, Te Puke’s guardian angel. Joyce joined Te Puke St. John as an ambulance attendant in the 1980s and for many years was the committee treasurer. Joyce was an anonymous supporter of Hato Hone St John and only became known after her passing last year.

On Thursday 23 January, the Acorn Foundation gifted an ambulance to the Te Puke Station on behalf of Joyce. Te Puke area committee chairwoman Lyn Govenlock spoke on behalf of Hato Hone St John and shared fond stories of Joyce and how adamant she was to remain anonymous.

Lyn said the committee was grateful for Joyce’s donation and the Acorn Foundation which has invested and grown Joyce’s Fund.

“She understood the importance of having the best possible ambulance for staff to serve the community. Hato Hone St John is always trying to run on the smell of an oily rag. Donations such as this are as amazing as they are essential.”

“Joyce would be proud to see the new ambulance today.”

There will be nine paid officers keeping the ambulance on the road every day and night of the week.

Joyce was born in a place called Lochem in the Netherlands and arrived in New Zealand in 1953. She graduated with a Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery at the age of 23 and married Izek Wessel in Hamilton in 1953. They moved to No 3 Road in Te Puke where they owned an orchard.

After Izek passed away, Joyce donated $250,000 for the establishment of the new ambulance station in 2013 which, along with $500,000 received from TECT, paid a large portion of the funds required to build. She also donated a new ambulance to St John Te Puke that year and made provisions with Acorn for that to be replaced with another new ambulance in 2024.

Besides being an active volunteer in the

ambulance, Joyce was a savvy treasurer for the te Puke branch and was seen every year sitting in what was then Blacketts Pharmacy on the corner of Oxford and Jellicoe St, signing up residents to the supporter scheme. This support raised money for the local ambulance to ensure local people were provided support in a medical emergency.

Joyce had a cat named Nicholas she was very fond of; he was aptly named because she adopted him on St Nicholas Day.

St John was not the only beneficiary of Joyce’s generosity. She supported over 20 charities including the Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade, Philips Search & Rescue, Blind Foundation, Te Puke Plunket and the Neurological Society.

Her substantial contributions to these organisations were always done anonymously. She did not like being in the limelight and was content to know that she had so generously supported her community and the local group of staff and volunteers for St John.

Her legacy is now acknowledged with her name printed on the new ambulance.

It is important for us to acknowledge the substantial contribution Joyce has made to health organisations in Te Puke. Their services will have helped so many people over the years because of Joyce's caring nature.

Joyce Wessel’s fund will continue to support St John Te Puke, Te Puke Fire Brigade and Philips Search and Rescue far into the future. These organisations were very dear to her heart.

"Being part of Joyce's incredible legacy and handing over the keys to this new ambulance was truly moving. Joyce exemplified the kind of thoughtful, forward-thinking donor that makes Acorn's work so meaningful. Like many of our donors, she was focused on supporting the causes she cared about, particularly emergency services that keep our community safe. While Joyce preferred to remain anonymous in life, I'm honored that we can now celebrate her," said Acorn’s Legacy Giving Manager, Campbell Higgins.