Jan "Janet" VEAL

Jan... you started as my landlady (when I moved into the lower flat in Hataitai) and became a dear friend... I will miss you. Love, sandy. x

DearDenise Kate and Lizzie My sincerest sympathy.Mum and I along with Kate and Liz had some great times together I am now a Widower and 90 next month .Mum's name came up as a special friend in the seventies and I found this site. Much Love Ramsay (Phil) Newton

Hi,
Your mum ,dad and all of you were so much a part of our every day lives in Hataitai from when they moved in.Your mum especially and over the many decades,all the changes,many laughs and some sadness, she continued to be a friend and confidante to my mum Helen.
I know my mum really appreciated Jan for her wisdom and pragmatism and she was still a very special friend until my mums death in 2011.
I am sad for all of you.she was a positive and really special person.
I love the photo.

Jeanette Wiggins, Anderson back then.
Many happy memories xxx

Good afternoon to Denise, Kat and Lizzy.

A time of reflection and peacefulness as I think of Jan and what she contributed to my well being in life over the past nearly fifty years.

I had the great good fortune to be part of the Hataitai Community at the same time as Jan.

We first met at the local kindergarten and were part of the energetic group that brought the new playground space into being.

Jan was a quiet efficient proponent of all the ideas that were brought forward and she was practical and objective in realizing what would be possible and how long the project would take.

She was clear sighted and took charge of issues that could have bounced out of control. Her manner was always calm and even. She was looked up to and respected for her actions at this time.

I enjoyed her wry observations, her holistic practices and her acceptance that everyone had something different to offer.

I found Jan to be a comfortable companion, a warm friend , who in time of need travelled considerable distances to offer condolences or a helping hand with house moving or cleaning.

I know how much she delighted in her grandchildren. She always found lovely things to say about them and when away from them, was always looking to the " getting back together " again.

There was the ease of family about Jan, at least for me. I come from a family of red heads, although not one myself, and in Hataitai, Jan was the only red head I knew.

I enjoyed her. I laughed with her, I worked with her, and will always have positive and good memories of her.

I think that every beach walk in Wellington will have Jan at its edges. She walked the southern shoreline while the dentist worked on her teeth and so controlled the use of pain killers. Maybe every time I succumb to injections at the dentist, I will be asking " should I maybe take Jan´s walk"?

I wish you well. A long and healthy life to you all.

Lynette Cook.

Love you mum