Anthony Shearman,1935-2023

Anthony died at home on the afternoon of Good Friday, 7 April, following a fall. He was 87.

AVISA's current president, Christopher Cluderay, described Anthony as having "all the hallmarks of a typical English gentleman", but was actually born and raised in Chile.

Born on 23 December 1935, Anthony went on to work in a number of countries before retiring to Nerja.

Along with other volunteer interpreters, he founded AVISA about 18 years ago, while he was working as a volunteer in the Nerja health centre.

From then he worked together with his wife Sheilah two days a week in Nerja and another day at the Axarquía hospital in Torre del Mar.

Anthony was a member of the association's committee and coordinated the work of the interpreters in Nerja. He regularly stood in for absent colleagues.

"Anthony's death will leave a great void in the lives of many people: so many years dedicated to helping others means that he was widely known and enormously respected. He worked with efficiency, dignity, empathy and above all a caring attitude," Christopher explained.

Anthony will be remembered with great affection by all the staff in the Axarquía health service, the patients and their families, as well as his colleagues.