It is with sorrow that we report the passing of former Paluma resident, Jean Garrett on Christmas Day, 2019 after a long illness.
Jean had a long association with Paluma, visiting the village regularly from the time she was a teenager, coming on a motor cycle with her then boyfriend, Graham. They married in Perth, when Jean was 16, returning to Townsville soon after, and had a long and happy marriage.
Jean supported her husband’s enthusiasm for Speedway Side-car racing and over many years they travelled to many destinations to speedway meetings around the country with their children. They were a popular couple around the speedway, with many long-term friends.
Jean was a very capable woman with numerous other interests, especially within the Arts. She and Graham owned The Palms Art Gallery in Townsville, from which they also ran a framing business. Jean had a fine collection of porcelain, sculpture and prints. Jean was also a keen gardener. An absorbing interest was jewellery-making, at which she was very talented, creating unique and lovely pieces in her studio at their home. Jean’sjewellery was in demand at craft shops and markets.
Graham and Jean bought Mist Haven units from Cec and Lois Carpenter, and later the brick house in Lennox Crescent where Jean and Graham lived until Graham’s death in 2008. Jean was devastated by his death but remained here for several years. However, with declining health and missing Graham deeply, she sold the house and moved to Patterson in NSW to be nearer to her children and grand-children. Here, she quickly made friends and helped regularly in an art and craft shop until failing health forced her to retire.
Jean is remembered very fondly by her friends in Paluma and our sympathy is extended to her family in their sad loss.
A celebration of the lives of Graham and Jean and spreading of their mingled ashes, will be held by the family on 6th June in Paluma, where Graham and Jean had been so happy.