News
Jonquil Mackey, a long-serving and much-loved teacher dies in a freak accident
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Alan Lee, Jonquil’s partner and fellow teacher, who escaped major injury in the accident; and Jonquil’s family (especially her daughters, Bridget and Verity (class of 2007)).
It is with deep sadness that we inform the collegian community of the death of our long-serving and much-loved teacher Jonquil Mackey.
Jonquil was on a motorbike being ridden by her partner, fellow Radford teacher Alan Lee, near Tumut, NSW. In a freak accident, a falling tree branch struck the bike and Jonquil sustained fatal injuries.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Alan Lee, Jonquil’s partner and fellow teacher, who escaped major injury in the accident; and Jonquil’s family (especially her daughters, Bridget and Verity (class of 2007)). Words cannot possibly describe their sorrow. In a statement to the Canberra Times , they said, ‘She gave endlessly to the people around her … Jonquil was an incredibly loving mother, partner, sister, daughter, artist, teacher and friend’.
Their shared love of travel and photography led to the exhibition Murrumbidgee River [26 Days] which was hosted in both ACT and interstate art galleries in recent years.
The Principal Fiona Godfrey noted that the College has been inundated with offers of support and condolences from former colleagues, Collegians, principals of other schools, educational leaders, and parents of the College – one of whom reflected that ‘It is a cause for celebration that Jonquil’s legacy should exist not only in her art works, including in the book from their exhibition which I shall now treasure all the more, but in the joy and inspiration she has engendered in students life at Radford, though surely also a tragedy that her communion with others has been cut so cruelly short’.
Jonquil taught media and photography at Radford and both she and Alan managed to capture all aspects of College life through countless beautiful photographs for the College’s publications and website.
The staff and students of the College loved Jonquil for her gentle and compassionate nature. Her passion for the art of photography imbued her teaching and she inspired the same passion in her students: ‘Ms Mackey showed us how to love photography … the countless hours we spent in the photography lab with her, allowed her passion to rub off on us.’
Photographs taken by Jonquil’s students often feature in College publications, and this is testament to her dedication as a teacher and mentor for these young artists.
We honour her memory and cherish what she gave us as a community and as individuals.
Celebrating the life of Jonquil Mackey
Dear Friends of Jonquil
The arrangements have been made as follows:
| Date: | Tuesday, 15 May 2018 |
| Location: | Fitters’ Workshop
Wentworth Avenue Kingston ACT |
| Time: | 11.00 am – 12.30 pm The service |
| 12.30 – 2.00 pm Following the service there will be a celebration of Jonquil’s full and rich life and a get together for all to share. After this celebration there will be a final opportunity for all to farewell Jonquil before she leaves the building for a private cremation. Please bring a plate of food and a bottle to share (these can be put on the tables as you enter the hall). |
River Bend, Bundarbo Rd, Jugiong. Photo: Jonquil Mackey