A few memories from Leigh's last visit to Mackay: driving to Charters Towers to spend hours at the genealogy society and trying to find old family houses and cemetery plots, trying to get value from an all-you-can-eat Chinese meal (Leigh hated bad food), Leigh sitting in the car in the middle of nowhere while I looked for butterflies (she understood obsessive hobbies), Leigh sitting around the pool with a drink and throwing a ball for Bella the Jack Russell and even allowing Bella on her bed (she wasn't very fond of dogs). I wish we had spent more time together.

Thinking of Leigh always bring to mind her great big smile, her passion for a game of anything, her enthusiasm to create a beautiful flower garden, her compassion, her amazing intelligence, her love of reading, her wanderlust and most of all her commitment to and love of her children and theirs to her. What amazing person, so positive, even at the end of her life.

POSITIVE thinking! Positive approach and Positive decisions! That’s what Leigh performed. No! Hang on! That’s not exactly right. What I mean to say is that Leigh made and insisted upon decisions and opinions that were absolutely Black and White. Any fruzzy stuff or colours in between were of NO accountable consideration. . . . . .She was the best and most intricate debater and arguer that we’d ever known . . . just only one of the reasons that we loved and cherished Leigh’s presence. I can still hear her. I see her often at Forestway and I wish that she could still occupy a chair and a glass on our sunny rear deck. A hard and continuously eventful life, Leigh managed the education and the wisdom and intelligence of her three kids to a masterful extent. Their current approach to companions and friends is clear illustration of Leigh’s masterful parenting. We seriously would like to have her still with us to experience and debate on the ongoing management of our own children and grandchildren as well as hers. Love is a simple but effective word and feeling to describe our thoughts and remembrances of the best family friend. Leigh Young Warwick and Anne

Leigh and I met at the Australia Day lunch in Iraga place about 12 years ago, immediately clicked and became firm friends. I live in Cornwall UK where Leigh's ancesters hail from so she visited me here and as well as finding important family connections we had a great holiday and I value the memories. She will always remain in my heart and I still have her last e mail on my computer. Later Amanda visited me and together we planted Lavender bushes in her memory which flower each year. Thanks for your friendship Leigh. Love Val xxx

Not everyone can say that they made a difference in someones life but we can be confident in knowing that Leigh made a difference in hundreds, and I know for a fact that she made a big difference in mine. Leigh had strong opinions but would always listen, she constantly questioned but was always forgiving. She opened her home (homes) to me always and only now do I fully understand how much she meant to my childhood. I have such brilliant memories of arguing in the kitchen at Altona or anytime I needed something I could head straight to the office to find her playing solitaire with a rum and coke in hand. Memories of her dodging frisbees down the hallway in Grace Avenue and seeing her giant smile in the tiny apartment in Japan. It is so great to take some time out to remember her today. Leigh will forever be remembered.

One of the most intelligent individuals I have ever come across. She loved: crosswords and logic puzzles, gardening (if you call digging up balls of clay at night gardening), travel and languages, rum and coke, political debates, card games, crime novels...list could go on... but she loved her children most of all. She was and still is very much loved in return. 5 years without her stil causes my heart to ache at the very mention of her name but I think we are all doing better and more importantly I think she would be incredibly proud of what we are all achieving this year. Thank you to our friends for remembering her and being apart of our lives.