Secret millionaire leaves fortune to hospital
A secret millionaire, who was considered a typically frugal personality by close friends, has left almost $3 million to a local hospital ward in his will.
Peter Gibbons, described as a “loveable rouge”, bequeathed the money to Ipswich Hospital in Suffolk, after passing away due to heart failure at age 90.
Mr Gibbons also left a small donation to the nearby St Mary’s Church.
As Mr Gibbons had no family, close friends Gary and Tricia Walton were left as executors of his will and had no idea how much their friend was actually worth.
"You heard rumours about his money, but when we found out how much it was we were quite shocked," said Mrs Walton.
"I just think he was so frugal because of the way he was brought up," said Mr Walton. "I believe his parents were very much the same. He would tell us how tight his father was, never buying rounds at the pub. I used to love listening to all his stories."
"He was a lovable rogue - a bit of a wheeler-dealer," Mrs Walton added. "People who knew him just knew that was the way he was - that was him and he was quite happy."
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