Carey Handfield

Melbourne fan Carey Handfield suffered a stroke November 5, reports Bruce Gillespie. Doctors determined some cholesterol plaque was blocking a major blood vessel in his neck and he had emergency surgery to clear it out. Handfield remains hospitalized but is out of intensive care.

Elaine Cochrane wrote after she and Bruce paid a visit:

We’ve just been to see Carey, who was sitting out of bed and is looking amazingly chipper. His speech is fine. He has limited concentration and is prescribed simple puzzles to improve that and to improve his fine motor control; he’s also having lots of short spells of physio. He can walk but still needs someone to provide support, and he tires quickly.

Handfield, 60, had a heart attack this time about a year ago.

He has worked on every Australian Worldcon, including as head of the Finance Division for the 2010 convention. He also chaired the unsuccessful bid for Sydney in 1983. Handfield and Gillespie co-founded Norstrilia Press, a small press sf publisher in the 1970s and 1980s.

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]

Update 11/07/2011: Correction, Rose Mitchell not Carey Handfield was treasurer of the 1999 Worldcon.