Cicely Saunders
She founded the modern hospice movement, insisting that dying patients deserved not just medical care, but dignity, compassion, and freedom from pain.
1918–2005 (age 87)·English nurse, social worker, physician and writer·Birthday: June 22·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dame Cicely Saunders began her career as a nurse and later a medical social worker, but it was her relationship with a dying Polish refugee, David Tasma, that crystallized her life's mission. He left her £500 to be 'a window in your home,' a symbol for the new kind of care she envisioned. Defying conventions, she trained as a physician to gain the authority to change how medicine treated the terminally ill. In 1967, she opened St. Christopher's Hospice in London, the world's first purpose-built hospice integrating expert pain control, holistic care, and psychological support. Saunders championed 'total pain,' addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual suffering. Her work sparked a global revolution, shifting the focus from curing at all costs to caring with profound humanity, and established the foundational principles of the palliative care discipline.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Cicely was born in 1918, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cicely Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Cicely's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2005Died at 87
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Founded St. Christopher's Hospice in London in 1967, the first modern hospice and a model for the world.
- Pioneered the concept of 'total pain,' advocating for holistic care addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual distress.
- Authored seminal texts and lectured globally, establishing the intellectual and practical framework for palliative medicine.
- Was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to healthcare.
Did You Know?
She was also a qualified nurse, social worker, and physician—a rare trifecta of expertise she combined in her work.
Saunders was a committed Christian, and her faith deeply informed her compassionate approach to care.
She was an accomplished writer and published poetry alongside her medical and philosophical works.
She met her future husband, Polish painter Marian Bohusz-Szyszko, at St. Christopher's, where he was a patient.
“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the last moment of your life.”
