Jessica was the quintessential English lady: modest, hardworking, self-denying, devout and yet with an unexpected, quite mischievous, sense of humour. She would have hated the demands on others that would have accompanied any long, drawn out, illness. Her leaving us so suddenly was therefore quite in keeping. It was we who were not ready for her to go.
I was privileged to have worked very closely with Jessica for some years - first as a rank and file member of her Board of Trustees and then later as a vice-chair. Then, of course, I took over the Chairmanship. I took on the prima facie role - but in no way the personalrole that she had played in the development of Sense.No one could do that.
It was typical of her thoughtfulness to have had two vice-chairs at the same time. She dreaded imposing on others and preferred to spread the work load for us - whilst bearing the full brunt of it all for herself. Yet, this strong, self reliant person, seemingly so robust, had been battling with one health trouble after the other for some time.
In particular there was no ‘busking’ for Jessica. Everything she did was carefully thought out and carefully planned and, most importantly, written out long hand. It was always abundantly clear that she had given a tremendous amount of thought to what ever issue, meeting, group, event or person she was about to meet. It brought out the moral best in everyone she touched. Her subconscious challenge was that you, too, would consider and prepare and give as she did herself. And for that challenge we all loved her. It was that challenge that embodied her leadership of Sense for so many fruitful years.
I, like many other people, simply can not believe that Jessica has died.
