Glenda Heidorn: December 10, 1941 – February 7, 2025

Glenda was born in 1941 and grew up in Wollongong. Of course, childhood during the war years came with its own challenges, and as an adult Glenda always had a deep appreciation for and found joy in aesthetics, quality, craftsmanship and precision.

Glenda had just completed her study as a speech therapist when she met Lothar Heidorn, a young Polish-born diesel fitter who had emigrated to Australia in 1961. It wasn’t long before romance blossomed and Glenda and Lothar with matching quick wits and intellects, wry humour and a shared pleasure in the arts, spent many hours in animated conversation, visiting galleries, exhibitions, listening to jazz, and enjoying the outdoors.

They married in Newcastle in January 1964 and lived at Mount Ousley just north of Wollongong, where Lothar became a naturalised Australian citizen in 1966 and the couple travelled by ship to Europe and back before settling into family life and celebrating the arrival of their son, Peter.

Glenda worked with the NSW Department of Public Health from 1969, initially as a speech therapist, but after completing a BA majoring in Psychology in 1977 she worked for the Health Commission. Glenda was a trail blazer in her profession and by 1986 she was working in Central Office for the NSW Department of Health as an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for Public Hospitals. Her advocacy in this role spilt over into all aspects of her life. Glenda treated everyone with respect, dignity and looked for the best in people.

The couple were delighted with the block of land they found along Western Avenue at Montville and built their dream retirement home. Soon they were very much part of the Western Ave community, in particular helping establish the Western Avenue Book Club. Of course it was more a Gourmand Club, than a humble Book Club, although there was rich conversation about the books on offer, and the table of books were soon relegated to a small table and dining became a three-course affair.

Music always sounded better through Lothar’s quality sound system and he was a generous host with fine wine and scotch to close the evening. Glenda, as much a perfectionist as Lothar, always practised the recipes she planned to make and serve the day before the event – from Sushi to crème caramel. Enjoying a cassoulet, a burgundy red, an apfel streudel followed by a single malt with friends was a sublime pleasure for Glenda.

Glenda and Lothar were a devoted couple, soul mates, always together, enjoying amazing trips, celebrating Peter’s marriage and the birth of two wonderful granddaughters, before Lothar became unwell with cancer. Glenda nursed him throughout, enabling him to die peacefully at their home.

In all things, Glenda was practical and set about establishing a life for herself without Lothar.

Always an eloquent conversationalist and correspondent, she often included quotes. Two at this time she shared were, “Love knoweth not its depth until the Hour of Separation" and

"Life is for deep kisses, strange adventures, midnight swims and rambling conversations."

Glenda took on new challenges – hired a campavan and adventured on her own in several national parks, especially loving the granite formations of Girraween. She went camping with friends and visited others from further afield in Sydney and Tasmania.

Selling her much-loved Montville home and moving to Nature’s Edge at Forest Glen was part of her plan to be determinedly independent and to enjoy life-as-one.

When Glenda made a friend, that friendship was rich and long-lasting. She kept up friendships from her student days, from her work time, and from the places she lived. Her Montville friends were regular visitors and she made new friends. She went on a road trip to North and Western Queensland with a friend she made from the bushwalking club and they enjoyed many outings together, becoming very close.

In 2018 Glenda visited Austria and Germany with another friend, and in a letter home described, “We have had a really wonderful, happy, fascinating, interesting, beautiful time. We loved Paris, then we loved Berlin and then we fell truly, madly deeply in love with Vienna —certainly the city of my dreams. We went to so many galleries and saw so much magnificent art work all housed in glorious buildings.” She was thrilled when Peter was able to join her at Stubaital, Austria and they went to the ski fields together. The following year Glenda enjoyed a curated tour in Slovenia. Glenda had a passion for living, and a wonderful capacity to experience it fully.

Glenda was a lists person, organised, systematic and prepared, although she always worried and planned for contingencies. In preparation for her last trip to Europe fearing her German had grown a little rusty, she enrolled in both U3A Conversational German and Advanced German Grammar.

As well as enjoying extensive travel, Glenda had a rich appreciation for the Arts and had an extensive knowledge of fine arts, literature, theatre and dance. She loved it all and there were many animated discussions, along with shopping expeditions embracing fashion, jewellery, craft, art and food.

Glenda found opportunities to help others and was part of a library run program to assist with English as an additional language. She relished working with her conversation groups, meeting people from other cultures, and although her son laughs at her being called an IT WIZ, many older folk learnt how to use their mobile phones from Glenda, who loved being able to share any knowledge she had.

In her retirement, Glenda loved being a Mum and Oma, an aunt and a friend. She always had just the right words to encourage, commiserate or console; always remembered special occasions and found just the right card for the purpose. Her love was selfless and unwavering, her joy contagious and her determination fierce, but it is her ready smile, sparkling eyes and heart-warming laugh that we will remember best.