The evening of December 23, 1975, marked the beginning of a long story of friendship and care. At that time, Rob and Diana were just 26 and 27 years old, and they were looking forward to the holiday when Ronnie appeared at their doorstep in Cardiff.
The man, holding a garbage bag and a frozen chicken, was known to Rob from their joint attendance at Sunday school. He recalled that Ronnie was referred to as someone who needed kindness, as he was "a bit different from everyone else."
“I didn’t know why I said it, but I just said, ‘Come in,’” Rob recalls, realizing that those two words changed their lives forever.
From that moment on, Ronnie became part of their family, and his presence enriched their lives for 45 years until his death.
At the time he came to their home, Ronnie was almost 30 years old. He had been homeless since he was 15, wandering around Cardiff and its surroundings. Rob sometimes saw him at the youth club he ran.
To make Ronnie comfortable in their home, the couple asked their relatives to bring him gifts: from socks to hygiene products. Diana remembers how Ronnie cried at the Christmas table, feeling the love he had never experienced before.
Initially, the couple planned to keep Ronnie with them only for Christmas, but when it was time to say goodbye, they couldn’t do it. Upon contacting a homeless assistance center, they learned that Ronnie needed an address for work, but for that, he needed a job.
Rob noted that this is a vicious circle many homeless people find themselves in.
Ronnie was placed in a boarding school at the age of eight, and at 11, he disappeared from Cardiff. In the process of writing his book, Rob learned what had happened to him.
After the boarding school, he was sent to a school that was referred to in one report as "a school for mentally disabled boys," and Ronnie spent five years there without friends or support.
His return to Cardiff at 15 turned out to be "to nowhere," as the couple notes.
At first, Ronnie was a bit withdrawn, but over time he became part of their family. He worked as a garbage collector, and Rob was proud to help him buy new clothes.
“It was like preparing a child for school,” he adds.
Rob, who worked as a lawyer, often drove Ronnie to work, and one day he smiled and said he was being driven by “the lawyer.”
Ronnie had his rituals, such as unloading the dishwasher every morning, and Rob and Diana laughed, pretending to be surprised.
Every year at Christmas, Ronnie gave them the same gift cards, and each time he eagerly awaited their reaction.
He was also actively involved in the life of the local church, helping organize events and collecting donations for the homeless.
One day, Ronnie came home in a new pair of shoes, explaining that he had given his boots to a homeless person. “That’s the kind of person he was,” the couple shares.
Challenges arose in their lives, including Ronnie's struggle with gambling addiction, but they cannot imagine their lives without him.
“He was a kind and complex person,” Diana says. “Sometimes I was his mother, sometimes a social worker.” In contrast, their children saw Ronnie as part of the family and had no issues with his presence.
Ronnie passed away in 2020 after a stroke, and the couple admits they miss him dearly. His funeral was modest due to Covid restrictions, but they received many condolences from people of various statuses.
Ronnie bequeathed £40,000 to charity, which helped complete the renovation of the Lockwood center named in his honor.
The couple believes that the 45 years spent with Ronnie were destined. “He brought a special depth and value to our lives,” Diana concludes.
