Heather McKenzie dies

Community stalwart Heather McKenzie, died on Friday, February 1, aged 93, following a long illness.

"Her passions were her house and garden, the health of Correa Bay and other local waterways, her family and friends and her community," said former Gosford councillor Ms Lynne Rainford (nee Bockholt).

"Heather was a passionate advocate for her local community.

"In the 70s, Heather used to hold functions at her home for the frail aged - on days like Melbourne Cup, Australia Day and Christmas Day.

"She made sure up to 20 people had a great time together eating and laughing and generally having a good time.

"She was well known for this work and acknowledged by local politicians such as Tony Doyle and Frank Walker with whom she formed close friendships," said Ms Rainford.

Heather was instrumental in the establishment of the St Vincent De Paul shop and complex in Woy Woy and was an office holder for many years in the South Woy Woy Progress Association and was involved in local issues for over 50 years.

She was instrumental in attracting State Government funding for aged care facilities including Boronia Court at Woy Woy and the Woy Woy Aged Care nursing home in Kathleen St, through the Progress Association.

She was an active Gosford Council participant and attended every council meeting for many years.

Heather's contribution to local affairs was recognised by Council in 2004 when she was named Citizen of the Year.

She was a long-time member of the Labor Party and attended every meeting.

Heather sat on many Council committees over the years including the Catchment Management Committee, Sister City Committee, Woy Woy Town Centre Committee, Correa Bay Improvement Committee, Light Up Woy Woy Committee and the Australia Day Committee, of which she was a member for over 20 years.

She was a director of Coastlink, a local aged and disability service for over 10 years and an inaugural and long term member of the Umina PCYC.

"Heather was always popping into local schools undertaking environment education with pupils and teachers and loved to go to Woy Woy Hospital if she needed a wound managed," said Ms Rainford.

"She was a frequent visitor to Woy Woy Community Nursing Home where she was always made very welcome.

"Heather was always there when a person was ill or a family member had passed away, always the first to visit to help the family to see how she could support them.

"Heather was always being requested to attend this meeting and that meeting and she did so with relish as a way of assisting her community.

"In the 1980s Heather wrote many letters to local and Sydney papers seeking more funding for aged care hostels and nursing homes, especially in the dementia area, as there was a severe local shortage of aged care beds.

"She was instrumental in getting a boat ramp installed at Correa Bay, in getting countless roads fixed up and getting the Council to assist any older person who needed help.

"Her community work is endless and she is very well known and well regarded locally.

"Everyone called her the mayor of Woy Woy, a title she revelled in as she loved Woy Woy for over 50 years.

"Heather featured strongly in the lives of so many people.

"She had strong relationships with Tony Doyle, Marie Andrews and Chris Holstein, the past and current members for Gosford.

"Politics was her life and she was delighted when she received a 90th birthday card from Julie Gillard and was thrilled when Ms Gillard became Australia's first female prime minister," said Ms Rainford.

Heather was born in November, 1919, in Sydney to father Alexander and mother Elizabeth and had three siblings, Jean, Alec and Betty.

Heather left home at 17 and trained to become a registered nurse in Balmain Hospital.

She worked in Sydney before, during and after the Second World War as a nurse in several hospitals including RPA.

In 1952 she left Australia on an extended trip overseas where she worked in England and Scotland as a nurse.

She visited a number of countries in two separate trips throughout the 50s and early 60s.

In the early 60s she was appointed as administrator (CEO) of the NSW Nurses Association and held the position for a number of years.

In 1962 Heather travelled to the USA to investigate ways forward for the nursing profession and produced a book on the subject.

She was an early and ardent advocate for university training for nurses.

In 1964 Heather purchased a block of land in Woy Woy and built a house on the water where she lived until she moved to Point Clare three years ago.

Heather's life was celebrated by a requiem mass at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Woy Woy.

She was buried at Point Clare cemetery.

Email, 12 Feb 2013

Lynne Rainford (nee Bockholt), Woy Woy