Picture 60’s baby boomer Australia, a burgeoning new suburb called North Balwyn. Where the smell of freshy cut grass permeates the air and every new home has a Hills hoist. All the children in our street are roughly the same age and all the mothers in the street share a responsibility for the kids.

This caring nature became the underpinning of how Wendy lived her life. If our home was her castle, the drawbridge was always down. People were always made welcome in our home, meal time often included others and I never felt like an only child!

When Mum returned to work, she continued to balance the expectations of a 60’s Australian woman with great skill and grace. Her art and design played a major part in her life, along with her passion for travel and adventure. Her ability in language was extraordinary. Not only nurturing my education requirements for which I was notoriously recalcitrant, but also supporting and encouraging me through 8 years of classical piano training, even though, truth be known, I would rather have been outside with my street of childhood brothers and sisters. That was Wendy, skilfully balancing everyone’s often divergent expectations.

Wendy’s ties to family were forever enduring. Her relationship with her brothers and their extended families remained a source of joy for ever. My childhood connections with all of my cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents (most of whom, also lived in North Balwyn!) was a reminder of the values Mum lived her life by.

Many of us have Wendy Bode paintings in our possession. I think her greatest skill though was her animal portraits. Painting a dog is reasonably straight forward, but capturing the personality and essence of your favourite animal is a gift. Her empathy was never more evident for all to see, should you choose to look.

Our family heritage in both the Bode and Mau side of the family was rooted in Germany. Mum was highly competent in not only speaking, but also reading and writing in German. Another pursuit she immersed herself in later in life. Her writing and poetry in her native tongue also provided a glimpse into an eloquent and insightful mind. They are still a source of joy to this day, as we uncover old journals and musings.

Wendy was also an enthusiastic and independent adventurer. While Tracey and I lived in London, Mum visited us twice during this 4 year period. We were but a stepping stone to some truly amazing destinations, her desire to retrace family backgrounds and experience life different to Australia fuelled this passion.
Tracey was the daughter in law that Mum both loved and deserved. This partnership gladdened her heart and she was, as always, immensely inclusive in welcoming Tracey to our family.

…and so, to Dad. Rod and Wendy had an enduring partnership spanning over 7 decades. Throughout their journey they grew together, sometimes independently of each other, but always connected. Whilst their individual hobbies didn’t always overlap, the shared ones brought great joy to them both. When Dad decided to learn to fly, Mum supported this particularly expensive pastime by travelling all over Australia with Dad in light aircraft, a perfect example of a win / win situation. Dad got to fly, Mum got to travel! They certainly shared a life well lived, Dads enduring care and support for Mum during her later years was exceptional.

We are, as they say, the product of our upbringing, and then we learn to be ourselves. I would hope that I paid attention to the subtle, gentle but substantive influence Mum provided to my upbringing, not always acting upon it, but hopefully allowing it to latch on to my sub conscious being.

So, where ever you find yourself in this world, please raise a glass to Wendy and celebrate her life and your part in it, she will be happy to receive your kind thoughts, as will we.

Wendy will be privately cremated.