A TRIBUTE TO JANE, OUR DEAR FRIEND & COLLEAGUE OF 25 YEARS ….
We were all shocked and saddened to hear of our dear Jane’s passing, which is why for many of us it still seems quite surreal, particularly as she had been such a positive presence in our practice for so long. Jane easily established close heart connections with her colleagues and friends, and seemingly most of her LifeForce clients, so her presence will be sadly missed.
As many know, Jane’s health was not as robust as her personality, but despite her physical challenges, and while struggling at times, she remained determined and dedicated, keen not to disappoint her regular massage clients, many of whom have been receiving massage and reiki treatments from her for almost a quarter of a century.
We all knew Jane to be highly intelligent and a caring practitioner but we probably loved her most for being a straight shooter (in more ways than one) a direct, no-nonsense, pragmatic person, which is why it was so easy to establish enduring friendship and working relationships with her – you always knew where you stood with Jane! And, if there were ever any differences in opinion these were generally easily resolved – which for a self-professed “you know me, I hate change” person is quite admirable!
Jane had a broad range of interests and incredible list of achievements so you may be interested to read through our list of
20 Things You May Not Have Known About Jane !
1. In her younger days Jane was into competitive pistol shooting and was reportedly very good at it. It was on the shooting range she met her partner Shane. They shared a love of their Pit Bull Terrier Spudsy, but ultimately not a love for each other!
2. Jane became a certified scuba diver.
3. Jane also undertook a range of challenges including being dropped out in the South Australian desert in the middle of nowhere when she undertook a Vision Quest.
4. Seemingly ever the thrill-seeker she had a go at abseiling!
5. Jane loved knitting and crocheting baby blankets for friends and clients.
6. Everyone knows how much Jane loved her cats, but some might not know that she was a veterinary nurse until her late 20’s, working at the Animal Welfare League, where she was known to perform mouth-to-mouth on a range of animals, including a lizard.
7. Having only completed Year 10 high school, Jane took herself to Marden College to finish Year 12 after which she completed her Science Degree, but her love and respect for animals led to a significant inner conflict when required to conduct scientific experiments on animal subjects.
8. Jane subsequently gained her PhD in the area of cancer research and was awarded the Dean’s List of Merit in 2013. She continued to proof-read research papers for fellow PhD scientists.
9. Jane was a dedicated team massage therapist for the Australian Elite Track Cycling Team for over 10 years, during which time she spent many hours at the Velodrome and travelled overseas to Germany and Belgium with the team.
10. She volunteered at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
11. She loved to play dominos and regularly enjoyed domino evenings with her good friends Michael and David.
12. Jane perfected Latkes (Jewish equivalent of the hash brown) which were annually served at friends’ Hanukah celebrations.
13. She loved yuccas and was overjoyed when yer yucca named Yani “had babies” !
14. Jane was hugely into zombie movies and has likely seen every possible TV program, movie and DVD on the subject. She was a particular fan of The Walking Dead series. It was therefore very interesting to note that Scott Wilson died one day after Jane left us. Scott had a dominant role playing a much loved, fascinating veterinarian in series 2 (like Jane he was keen to offer refuge to those in need). Apparently Scott Wilson was unable to cope with the departure of the series’ greatest fan and decided to follow Jane into the heavens on 6th October. Wherever they are, they are most likely discussing favourite episodes and characters and the reappearance of Scott in the soon-to-be-released series 9. They are sure to have good company in each other!
15. Jane formed close spiritual connections over many years through Reiki (frequently performing “distant” healings on her friends as well as their ailing pets). She was a popular member of her “A Course in Miracles” study group and her Goddess circle (Jane and I attended ourr first Goddess weekend together in the early 1990’s).
16. Jane was fascinated by all things SciFi and could listen to and watch NASA TV for hours on end. Fortunately, she was able to attend a NASA lecture during this year’s Science Week, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
17. She had mentioned that she would have loved to be one of the scientific team that are yet to be selected to travel to Mars (never to return!) where they are to provide a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery back to earth.
18. Jane was also a fan of the TV show ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ which was filmed in New York at Kleinfeld Bridal. The programs followed the brides, along with their family and friends, while choosing a dress for their big day. When Jane heard that our receptionist Kerry and her husband Rob were going to New York, she asked if they could find the shop and take some photos which they eventually managed to do after a lot of walking! Jane was very excited when presented with embossed Kleinfeld stationery along with internal and external shots of the store. Jane’s excitement will remain a treasured memory for Kerry and Rob.
19. In the mid 1990’s Jane attended a gospel choir group to find her singing voice.
20. As Jane adored Daryl Braithwaite and was a huge fan of Sherbet our musical tastes were never going to be compatible! Despite this, she will be remembered fondly by me for loathing my music selections – relaxing, new-age music during the early years (referred to by her as “elevator music”), and then the continual loop of Christmas Carols leading up to Christmas Day. Even after we progressed to a CD stacker, she was a constant critic of our Notting Hill and Kenny G CDs. Her irreverent style with good humour rendered it easy to accommodate her tastes, so you may thank her for being instrumental (pardon the pun) in the practice now playing music of different genres (although understandably these may still not be to everyone’s liking).
Jane was certainly one of a kind and will continue to hold a special place in our hearts.
May she now rest in peace.
