Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Couple Invites Man in for Christmas; He Stayed 45 Years

“Ronnie Lockwood had autism and was left homeless after being ejected from a care centre at the age of 15.” On 23 December 1975, at age 30, Ronnie knocked on the door of the home of Rob Parsons and his wife Dianne. Rob recognized Ronnie from around town and they invited him in. They decided to let him stay for Christmas where “… he had these presents and he cried because he’d never known that sort of feeling of love, you know,” said Dianne. Later, when they asked him to consider moving on, Ronnie asked, “have I done a bad thing?” They let him stay – for 45 years. Ronnie became beloved in Cardiff, volunteering at a food bank, helping out wherever he could, especially at a community center to which he left £40,000 when he passed away in 2020. “People say to us, how did it happen – 45 years – but the honest truth is, in some ways, it happened a day at a time.” “Ronnie brought a richness into our lives.”

Be The Change

Open your eyes and heart to discover and appreciate the richness offered from someone who has a disability.