Page 44 - Luce 2023

Obituaries

Diana Renard (Paterson 1971)
7 September 1951 – 16 October 2022

Diana Renard commenced her Articles of Clerkship a most accomplished painter, once
lived in Janet at the London firm of Druce and Attlee. the children were old enough to allow
Clarke Hall in Her legal career was cut short when she her the time for this. Her wonderful
1971 and 1972, became pregnant and her employers canvases enhance the walls of her and
completing the asked her to resign because they thought Ian’s home in North Fitzroy, and their
two middle it inappropriate for her to continue much-loved house in Anglesea.
years of her to work once her pregnancy became
Law degree. obvious! Those of us who worked at the
She had just University of Melbourne will also recall
turned 71 years old when she died in The first of Di and Ian’s four daughters, her presence around the campus at
Melbourne, having endured a long Katrina, was born in London in 1975. important events when Ian served there
illness. A memorial service was held for Upon the family’s return to Melbourne as Chancellor from 2005–2009, and
her on 23 October. at the end of 1975, with a couple of how effortlessly she put the people
years in 1977–1978 spent in Canberra, she hosted at ease and made them feel
From her time in College, Di will Katrina was followed by her sisters welcome.
be remembered for her vivacity, her Amanda (1976), Victoria (1978) and
intelligence and inclusiveness, and Louisa (1980). Each of these warm, A wonderful friend to many people, Di
the fun and enjoyment she created all lively and accomplished young women, cared for her friends and kept in touch
around her. For the rest of her life she of whom Diana was extremely proud, with them, inviting them to amazing
had these characteristics, mostly I think spoke at length of their mother at the and expansive social gatherings that
because she loved engaging with other memorial service in October and were were lively and lots of fun. She always
people and did it so warmly. She always the highlight of that service. Those of us kept her friends’ interests at heart. Her
looked outwards too, to draw new in the audience were so very pleased friendship was appreciated greatly,
people into her wide circle of friends. to hear their recollections of Di’s skilled cherished by many. This was very
and generous parenting and her strong evident at her memorial service, when
When Di was in residence, in those last partnership with Ian. Theirs was (and is) those who loved her came to pay their
years that JCH was a women’s college, a most loving and close family. respects. It was also evident in the large
many indeed were the visitors to the number of friends who kept in touch
little room she had which was next Di retained her interest in the law and in with Ian, and came to visit Diana, during
door to mine. She was very popular. In issues of justice. Once her children were her long illness.
those days when outgoing conversations at school she served on the Victorian
were conducted on a couple of landline Court Network, providing comfort and With the death of Diana Renard, Janet
phones on each floor, students took practical advice to anyone attending Clarke Hall’s community has lost a
shifts in answering the phones in court who was not the principal party in talented, vivacious, and very caring
the evenings. We were often taking a case. She served on the board of the alumna. It was truly a pleasure to have
messages from young men wanting to Court Network, and was for fifteen years spent time in her company, in College
speak to Di. We tried hard to reduce a committee member of the Queen’s and afterwards.
their expectations that she would be Fund which met monthly to distribute
available! An increasingly frequent funds to single women in financial Prof. Ruth Fincher AM (1969)
visitor was Ian Renard, then a tutor in distress. JCH Fellow
Newman College nearby; Di and Ian (with the great assistance of Ian Renard,
married on 16 February,1973. For a number of years Di was also on some of whose words are included in
the board of the Australian Tapestry the above)
Following their marriage, Diana and Ian Workshop, reflecting (I like to think) her
lived in London. Having graduated in own deep interest and skills in the visual
Law at the end of 1973, in 1974 Diana arts and painting. For she had become

The College acknowledges, in sympathy, those deceased alumnae of whom it has become aware since the previous edition.
Together with the accompanying obituaries, the College has also learned of the following deaths in our community:

Dr Janet Guthrie (Hasker 1960) Suzanne Elsie Whyte (Donnelly 1967) Elizabeth Clare Rouse (1945)
13 February 1942 – 2 January 2017 8 December 1948 – 15 April 2021 1927 – 9 November 2021
Sylvia Aitken (1942) Merrin James (1972) Margaret Christina Brookes (Bell 1950)
19 January 1924 – 16 December 2020 3 July 1953 – 21 July 2021 16 May 1931 – 25 July 2022

Elspeth Anne (Peppi) Kent (1957)
10 June 1938 – 7 April 2021

44 LUCE Number 21 2022