Jenny NEALE Obituary

Shocked and saddened to hear the news about Jenny while overseas. What a great contribution she made to research and evaluation as both a teacher and practitioner. Personally, I'm so grateful to Jenny for her encouragement during the early 1990's and for her generous support and practical advice over the years. I'll always remember her warmth, her wonderful sense of fun and her infectious laugh.

I have just caught up with this news and always enjoyed seeing Jenny on the occasional walk to work. Thinking of her encouragement and kindness over the period of my research. Remembering her with great fondness.

Kia ora e te whnau o Jenny. We are happy to have had Jenny in our lives for more than 50 years. Her light shines brightly in our hearts and minds. Love from Denise, Jane, James and Brian Ross.

Dear Jenny, just heard tonight of your passing, what happened? It says 'suddenly' so no clues there. I missed the celebration of your life and am sure there were lots of stories and laughter. You guided many of us through our Masters in reasearch, fought hard for the continuation of this programme and other fringe courses, always with dignity and held your integrity never giving up. I'm so sorry to hear of this sudden departure from this world, and with many others share condolences to all your family and friends.

I am very sad to read the news of Jenny's passing. Jenny was a wonderful mentor and contributor to evaluation and to the AES. And a wonderful person. My condolences to Jenny's family and friends.

The Zonta Club of Wellington will miss Jenny's expertise as a judge in the biennial Zonta Science Award for an emerging woman scientist at PhD level. Her comments were always perceptive and constructive. She had judged each award since 2004.

Jenny, I will deeply miss your infectious laughter, curious mind and deep support for others. You were and will continue to be a shining light on the value of evaluation in Aotearoa and Australia. I thank you for your support in encouraging me to step into leadership roles in the Australasian Evaluation Society. Your true gift was encouraging us to be more. Thank you - I will deeply miss your guidance and support.
E te rangatira, moe mai ra i roto i te rangimarie
Rest in peace

Many fond memories. So grateful for Jenny's support and wisdom over the years, from my fresh-faced idealistic days as her student through to us working together on different idealistic (but wiser and more grounded) pieces of work in different organisations.

Friday 12 July 2019

Jenny - rest in peace, you are someone I much admired and enjoyed for your
inquistive questioning, your energy to have conversations and your care and precision in your work. Plus your resilience in the tough times you faced at work. A colleague I highly valued. Let's use your legacy to continue with our challenges and opportunities. I'm richer for having known you.

Jenny and I met while riding the bus to the CBD daily. When Jenny moved to the City, Sharon, another bus mate and I would meet Jenny and we would partake in a couple of Mojito, giggling at how naughty we were out on the town drinking. The news of Jenny's passing is so sad, I will miss you Jenny xx

When I was a young feminist academic at VUW working in an all-male department, Jenny took me under her wing and helped me to achieve my goals. I had a crazily heavy teaching load and could not see how I would fulfil a book contract. Jenny's writing regime saw me rising at 4am to work on the book for four hours before my university commitments began. I was too scared to turn up with no writing done to miss any of the deadlines we set.
Jenny later became, with Allison Morris, one of my PhD supervisors. She was warm, encouraging - and very firm. When I got carried away wanting to trace the patriarchal legacy informing policing back as far as the Garden of Eden, she looked at me, pursed her lips and said, "Jan, I don't think so."
Although I saw little of her in recent years, Jenny will always remain an important and valued member of my feminist herstory and I will never forget her generous support of me - or her wonderful brown knit stockings.

Go well Jenny. Thank you for your life and your support of my journey. Ia manuia lou malaga. Carmel

Jenny was always ready to get involved in something new - she'd support anyone's interests. Here she is walking to work as part of one of the initiatives for our green impact team at HSRC.

A big mihi mahana to Jenny's family and colleagues, so shocked to learn of her sudden passing. Jenny's warmth, joy of life, generous spirit and significant leadership in the development of rigorous and equitable social science research & evaluation will be forever remembered by so many. Her valued legacies live on through those so privileged to work and live alongside Jenny, and to learn though her teaching, mentoring and supervision. Arohanui, Jennie Harre Hindmarsh

I am indebted to Jenny for her support and guidance through her M Soc Sci (Applied) course. She gave me the grounding and skills and direction to channel and discipline my curiosity. Thankyou Dr Neale. Yours is a tremendous loss to the evaluation and research community. He mihi aroha ki te whanau pani. Takoto, takoto, takoto, moe mai moe mai.

My sympathy to Jenny's family. She will be sadly missed by all our AES Members.

Anona Armstrong

Dear Jenny, I don't think you planned to leave this way. It's left us all gutted and sad. All those years you and I talked, laughed, drank tea and worked very hard at VUW, you planned things meticulously - your travel, your courses, your supervision sessions, your life. You lived through some brutalising times. First they axed the social work department, then women's studies, and then your successful social science research course. But you rose above it to go on being the courageous, life-loving, intelligent, generous colleague and friend that I am privileged to have had. Arohanui, e hoa. Joy

So shocked to hear this news. Jenny was President of the AES for much of the time I was on the Board, and I always looked up to her warm, respectful and wise leadership. She was always the sort of person who you looked forward to catching up with at meetings and conferences and I am saddened that that will no longer happen. My condolences to her friends and family.

Shocked and very saddened to hear of Jenny's sudden passing. Jenny was the AES President when I was the fledging convenor of the 2009 AES Canberra Conference. A strong, sweet and humble leader, committed to evaluation and strengthening the work and influence of the AES. I feel privileged to have known Jenny over the last decade. Vale Dr Jenny Neale. You will be missed.

Sending heartfelt condolences to you and your family Wendy xx

Remembering you Jenny with thanks & appreciation for all you did for the Australasian Evaluation Society Awards Committee.

So sorry to hear the news. Jenny was a wonderful mentor and great thinker. I will miss her! My thoughts are with her family and friends.

Jenny, we are deeply saddened by your passing. There is also so much to celebrate and sustain from your life and work. You inspired and encouraged many of us. Evaluation excellence will continue with your ideas never far away.

Jenny is a leader I look to for how to do it right.

So sad to hear of Jenny's passing. I was one of your students in the first year you ran the MA(Applied) is Social Science Research course (1992-1993). You were such a great teacher and ended up supervising my thesis. You gave us all a great start to careers in research and evaluation. You showed such belief in us, and I find myself quoting you often when I am teaching others research and evaluation skills.

My first interactions with Jenny were in the 1990s through the Evaluation programme she was running at Victoria. I always admired how she battled for the cause of research and evaluation through so many ups and downs. The field owes her a huge debt of gratitude. Later on, I worked with Jenny on some contracts through Victoria Link and she also gave me invaluable advice when I embarked on my own research journey. That was typical of her - always willing to help with a smile and a chuckle. In the last year I saw quite a bit of Jenny at the HSRC where I enjoyed several chats and uproarious five-minute quizzes. My last memory from a few weeks ago is of her striding down from the Kelburn campus in one of the snazziest pairs of shoes I've ever seen. It's very difficult to accept that she has gone so suddenly. Jenny, you will be much missed. Rest in Peace

An amazing educator, who i have had the privledge of being a student of Dr Jenny Neale since 1990 (DipSocWk) 2008 (MASSR) and recently Phd. You provided so much support for our past and current Pasefika students Jenny, your focus on equity and gender issues will never be forgotten. Manuia lou malaga. May you travel well to your next destination. Alofa atu. Love always. Taima Fagaloa x

So many memories, Jenny, over so many years! Your passion for research and evaluation will be sorely missed. Your energy and support and interest in the lives of your friends, family, students and colleagues was strong and unwavering. It was a pleasure (and a privilege) to work with you on the Wellington branch of the Australasian Evaluation Society, and to enjoy time together at Conferences. Most of all, I valued your friendship and fun. John and I are both very sad that you have disappeared from our lives so suddenly. This is a huge wrench for the Research and Evaluation community in Wellington and Australasia ... but you, and your contribution will be remembered!

Jenny was a wonderful classmate who inspired us all and we will miss her very much at our annual 1958 Kelburn School Class Reunions as they will never be the same without her.You will never be forgotten. Love Peter McLaren

What a wonderful classmate Jenny was for all of us and her attendance at our regular Class of 1958 Reunions was a joy and she will be sorely missed.An inspiration to us and a wonderful person who will never be forgotten.All our love,Peter McLaren xx

Our Kelburn primary school friend, then Wellington Girls College ! We lost contact for some time but our recent reunion reunited us! So proud of your achievements and contribution to so many students . I will miss our annual dinners in Wellington and brunches at Eltham, Melbourne. So sadly missed Jenny Gowan Melbourne
.

Very sad to hear (in London) of Jenny's death. Much respected feminist researcher and teacher. I worked with Jenny on the Women's Studies Board of Studies at VUW for several years and much appreciated her input.

Go well Jenny - I will miss you. You taught me so much when we organised W2(SC), way back in 1993.

I worked with Jenny for well over 15 years. She was a fantastic researcher and evaluator, and was always incredibly generous with her time, especially in working with Masters and PhD students. She made a stunning contribution to our work and she was dearly loved. We will miss her so.