Page 42 - Luce 2024

Obituaries

Barbara Everist (Pickford 1949) Dr Jennifer Bryce (1963)
20 July 1931 – 16 February 2023 14 August 1944 – 27 April 2023

Barbara grew When family we recall her looking out for, and
up in Bendigo, and friends engaging with, peers that were left on
completing of Jenny the outer at sporting or social events;
matriculation at gathered in and this was in the days before terms
Girton Grammar May 2023 such as ‘social inclusion’ or ‘emotional
School and this year to intelligence’ became common currency.
studying a celebrate her Over a number of years, she also spent
further year at life, we agreed many hours assisting a visually impaired
Bendigo High unanimously undergraduate colleague at Melbourne
School, where she received Honours that hers was a very full and loving life University.
in four of her five subjects. She won a well lived: there was certainly much to
scholarship to JCH in 1949, joining a celebrate and share. After graduating with a BA/DipEd,
number of other Girtonians, including her Jenny taught music at Heidelberg and
sister Alison Gliddon (Pickford 1946)* Jenny was the first-born child of Ruth Preston Technical Schools and later
to study a Bachelor of Arts majoring in and Jim Bryce, and from a young age worked in educational research at ACER
International Relations and History. At it was clear that she was not one to (the Australian Council for Educational
that time, Barbara met Trinity resident, Ian rest on her laurels. Yet even to us, her Research). She was Chair of ASME (the
Everist*, who was studying a Bachelor of siblings, the true breadth, depth and Australian Society of Music Education,
Engineering. involvement of her life only became Victorian Chapter) during the 1980s, and
apparent as we gathered to say continued her support of this and other
After completing her studies, Barbara farewell. music organisations throughout her life.
married Ian in 1954 and they moved to
Tasmania for four years whilst the Pet Jenny was never one to adopt the role To support her career in music Jenny
River Dam was under construction. In of an innocent bystander; she always later undertook PhD studies at RMIT
1959 they moved to Canterbury, Victoria had a thoughtful and considered University. As with much of her
where Barbara spent her time bringing up opinion to offer, and enjoyed active involvement with young people and
their four children and becoming actively participation in whatever field she music, her emotional intelligence came
involved in the local community. chose. Throughout her life she wore to the fore in her studies for this degree:
many occupational hats: teacher, she was always looking out for people in
In 1984-85 she undertook the research educational researcher, writer, need, and trying to engage them.
for the writing of By Their Deeds, the academic and accomplished musician.
Camberwell Grammar School Centennial In later life Jenny lived in Elwood,
book published in 1986. She didn’t return At an early age Jenny’s dedication to and became actively involved in the
to work after studying, having her hands getting things done, and doing them Elwood Writers group; this followed
full with family, community, and providing properly, became apparent; whether publication in 2019 of her earlier novel,
significant support for Ian’s engineering this involved hours of piano or oboe Lily Campbell’s Secret, and a number
career. Barbara also found time to pursue practice, or diligent exam preparation. of other short stories. She was also
her many interests including book club, She always set high standards, but also a regular participant in the Adelaide
restoring antique furniture, upholstering, liked to have some fun, particularly Writers’ Festival.
playing Solo, travelling, volunteering help with music.
in the school library and other community What perhaps stands out most
activities. As a mother of four, she Music always played a significant role throughout Jenny’s life was her ever-
eventually became a grandmother to 12 in her life: as a child and teenager positive outlook; she always seemed
and great grandmother to five. she enjoyed jazz jam sessions around able to see the best in any situation,
the piano at home. She finished and make the best of it. And when she
Barbara and Ian retired to Flinders in school in 1962 and, whilst resident became ill, it was that strength and
1995 and soon became very active in the in Janet Clarke Hall, played folk/jazz positive mindset that helped her and
community and volunteer groups, where religious music with Jim Minchin’s also helped to support her friends and
they lived a very fulfilling and satisfying Trinity College group ‘The Most Men’ family.
life for the rest of their days. (which morphed into ‘Mostly Men’ on
occasions when Jenny was playing). Jamie Bryce
Barbara always had very fond memories She introduced our family and her Barbara Watts (Bryce 1971)
of her time in JCH and retained contact friends to some of the great musical
with her lifelong friends from JCH, Anne comedy sketches of the 1960s that
MacDonald (Hallows 1949)* and Jessie she loved (The Goons, Peter Sellers &
Serle OAM (MacDonald 1949)*. Peter Cook), and the humorous musical
exploits of Hoffnung.
Peter Everist
(son) Another admirable quality throughout
Jenny’s life was her care and
*Sadly, now deceased compassion. During her school days
42 LUCE Number 22 2023