Dear Nanette I am very saddened indeed by this unwelcome news. Frances (and you yourself, Nanette) were rocks on which the reputation of NCELTR for service to the AMEP community, our graduate students in Linguistics at home and overseas, ourselves and the many international and national correspondents we had, was built; ever ready to offer wise and informed opinion about resources, always on top of the game, and above all leaders in establishing a research community of a quite original kind. I cannot say how much we profited from her expertise. I have always seen her work, yours, and that of her other colleagues, as quite selflessly supportive of what was, above all, a collegial and imaginative enterprise in NCELTR Resources. I am deeply sorry. Chris Christopher N Candlin Senior Research Professor Founding Executive Director, NCELTR Department of Linguistics Faculty of Human Sciences Macquarie University, Sydney North Ryde, NSW 2109 Australia Tel: (61) (02) 9850 9181 Fax: (61) (02) 9979 8108

I am deeply grateful to Frances for the extraordinary assistance she gave to myself, my students and to every person who used the NCELTR Resources Centre, a centre whose great success was due in no small part to her unremitting efforts. No request was ever too difficult. Thank you Frances for your warmth, your assistance, you enormous expertise and the welcome you extended to users of the Centre.

Frances was a beautiful person inside and out. She was visionary and stuck to her dreams. Devoted wife and mother. Loving and protectetive. Was priveldged to have known her. Complimented by being accected as a " potential sister-in-law" Her love will live on in us... She will be DEARLY Missed........ My deepest condolences to Greg , Amanda and family Sheila Jun

Frances was a complete professional. Like her colleagues in the NCELTR Resource Centre, she gave unstintingly of her expertise and her time to help students and staff. I personally owe much to her professionalism as a colleague in NCELTR and also for her help in finding materials for my own research. Without her help, my research would have been the poorer. And, she performed her work with humour and gentle kindness. Thank you, Frances. Denise Murray (former Executive Director, NCELTR and the AMEP Research Centre)

I am extremely sad indeed to hear this news. I worked with Frances from the very earliest days of the set-up of NCELTR, along with Chris Candlin, Geoff Brindley, David Hall and other colleagues. With Nanette Reynolds and other staff she was a great member of the NCELTR team in the Resource Centre. The RC's work was outstanding - it was a unique collection, quite unknown and very unusual for a national research centre, built up with great care and expertise by Frances and her colleagues. It was used exensively by those working in Australia's Adult Migrant English Program and applied linguistics/education postgraduate students and staff at MU. The Resource Centre is still greatly missed. I will always remember the enthusiastic way that Frances went about finding references and doing database searches for research projects for me and others for more than 20 years. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she prided herself on finding really out-of-the-way references. I recall that one I asked her to follow up had really minimal detail - but she refused to give up and was so pleased when she finally tracked it down. I featured Frances' work on how to do web-based literature searches in my recent book on action research. I will remember Frances and her work with very great affection. Very best wishes Anne Burns. Professor of Linguistics Former Dean of Linguistics and Psychology, Former Associate Director, National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR)

Even after many years I still remember Frances clearly by her helpful acts and thoughtful considerations in her role in the Resources Centre. I was only one of hundreds -- correction -- thousands who benefited from her dedication.

I had the very great pleasure of working with Frances for many years as part of the AMEP research Centre. I was always very impressed by not only the great insight and efficiency that Frances brought to her work at the centre, but also the warmth and sparkle that she brought to my day. My heartfelt condolences to all those close to her who must miss her dearly!

Frances was a wonderful colleague not only because of her highly professonal skills but because she shared her warm smile, gentle humour and geneorosity of spirit with everyone equally. Frances' creative skills enhanced many a staff social event, and I especially remember how the beauty of her flower and food confections would transform our humble office and lift our spirits. It was typical of Frances that she never accepted recompense for her considerable time and effort, but simply gave. Pam McPherson, work colleague

Frances was a member of the excellent professional team that ran the NCELTR Resources Centre for many years. Students and staff of NCELTR, the Department of Linguistics and the AMEP will all have cause to remember Frances with great affection and appreciation for her unfailing readiness to go the extra mile in helping further the cause of research at Macquarie University and beyond. Her smile and friendliness will be missed by all who knew her. David Hall (former Head of Department, Linguistics)