Jean made her final journey at her home on the shores of Bobs Lake with her family around her on October 7th 2026. She was the middle child of the five children born to Jean and Lloyd Gallagher on November 28th 1937. She is pre-deceased by her older brother Bob Gallagher and younger sister Nancy Carere and deeply missed by her oldest and youngest sisters Mary Ferris and Katy Young.

For Jean her family of five, Justyna and Bob Lawrence, Michael and Diane Cooke, Mark (and Nancy deceased) and Martine Dumas, and twins Derek and Julie Cooke and Mari and John Dressler, mattered above all else. She and her husband Theodore ‘Derek’ of 67 years have fourteen Grandchildren: (Ifer, Kathryn (Nathan), Robin (Kyle), Jacob (Jessie), Lillian, Kristen (Julius), Ivan (Margaret), Colin (Allie), Theo (Janelle), Nathan (Iris), Sara, Caroline, Bramm, and Keenan) and seven Great Grandchildren. They, with all her other relatives, embrace her and will forever have her with them in their hearts. Jean loved the outdoors and all it has to offer. She loved being immersed in a lakeside forest alone for days, to embrace the surroundings whatever the weathers. Watching and knowing the wide variety of birds around our feeders and at the lake became an all important part of our daily breakfasts and could last for hours.

She relished her encounters with people, old or new, making each feel special. She loved to talk and especially to relate stories. She became deeply involved with the Theater backstage, initially with DRAG (Desert Rose Acting Guild) in Riyadh, KSA, then for years at Studio Theatre in Perth. She willingly supported her community for many years serving, always with humour, on the executive at the ABC Hall at Bolingbroke. Her humour was ready at all times, enlightening even serious moments. It added a sense of ‘fun’ to the event and made her participation richly welcomed.

Her weakness for chocolate was legend and she especially liked Cadburys Dairy milk, even more so when it had come from the UK. This weakness was complimented by her baking skills. Her desserts were to ‘die for’ and the plentiful contributions to local gatherings, never returned with any left-overs.

Her first venture into the world of writing was to write a cook book that focused on desserts. It was aptly entitled ‘My Sweet Moments’. Each copy was created by hand with colour coded pages. She gave one to each for her children and grandchildren. It carries its own special history in the family. Then, in her 80s she decided to write about and for her family; its history and her memories of growing up, mainly in London. To that she added a range of stories of her experiences and encounters of times she

accompanied her husband, (a busy academic ‘never at home’ surgeon) on many trips abroad. Her book ‘Riding the Waves. The Unexpected stories of my life’, was self-published in the fall of 2024.

She was not competitive in nature, yet an excellent swimmer, skater and good at gymnastics. Many of these skills were honed at camp Indewendewin, where she taught swimming and canoeing as a counselor. It is no wonder that her progeny are proficient in these skills in and on the water.

Jean’s ways were different. It did not matter for her to be ‘up with the Joneses’. So her housekeeping was done around ‘Organized Confusion’ and prioritized by how much fun she could have with her children. She never aspired to the role and expectations of being ‘A Doctor’s wife’. Yet her support for her husband’s work never wavered. Her attention to detail and capacity to create complex set ups in short form, illustrated by: The ‘Bibles’ she put together for organizing props and actors backstage for each new play; the arrangements for a curling bonspiel; set ups for our next camping trip; organizing another ‘Crazy Dinner’, was excellent. It was an unique talent. Importantly, her ways were always those of putting the needs of others ahead of her own. Those were the tenets she lived by and ranked far and always ahead of any personal problems or physical distress.

Jean will be deeply missed by all who knew her and cherished by all who cared. A celebration of her life will be held on October 24th from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Blair & Son Funeral Home, Perth. As expressions of sympathy, memorial contributions to The

Bob’s Lake Foundation or the ABC community Hall, Maberly would be greatly appreciated. Arrangements are in the care of Blair & Son Funeral Home, Perth.