Lyne’s eulogy

Read by her son, Paul Rae

This is just a small portion of the life of my Mother - known as Mum, Nanny, Lyne, Lyn-E, and little Lynnie, she was loved by so many.

Born on the 28 November 1946, she was the dearly loved daughter of Clarence Felix & May Jane Ascoli.   When she was first born her father thought she was too small to have middle name so she was just named – Lynette.

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Loved sister of Fay, Kevin, Clarrie, and Greg.  Mum and the Ascoli children attended St Joseph’s Catholic school in Maclean.   She was close in age with her brother Greg and had lots of fun playing and growing up on her beloved Stanley Street.

As she grew, it was her time at the Jackadgery and Saint George family farms that she enjoyed most.   She loved riding horses on the farms and would sneak off through paddock gates she wasn’t meant to go through, ignoring the rules, to explore the land on her favourite horse, Sandy.

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In 1962 Mum went on to St Mary’s Grafton, where she studied and obtained diplomas in Advanced Shorthand, Advanced Typing & Business.   Shortly after this, she moved to Sydney and started working in a chocolate factory where she relished in gathering up stray and rejected chocolates to take home.

Working at the chocolate factory started her lifetime love of the chocolate and her cupboard was never without multiple packets of Maltesers.

Fast forward to Sydney airport on June 11 1964, Mum found herself in the rain with hundreads of other adoring fans, welcoming The Beatles as they touched down for the first time in Australia.   She had skipped work to see them and upon showing up at work the next day, her boss placed the front page of the paper down in front of her.   To her surprise, there she was – screaming with arms outstretched, in the rain, at The Beatles, published in print for all to see.

Her boss and her had a good laugh about it and Mum swept that one under the rug.

She had a serious case of Beatle-itis; eventually naming her eldest son ‘me’, after her favourite Beatle, Paul. I asked her why not after George as we share the same birth month and day – her response, I liked Paul.   My brother Scott would also be given a middle name in honour of her favourite American Italian singing heartthrob, Dion.

For those interested, she liked the Beatles in this order: Paul, George, Ringo, John.

Mum loved music, everything from the 50s, 60s, and 70s through to today.   Growing up we always had music playing. Everything from The Beatles of course, to Elvis, ABBA, The Seekers, and Fleetwood Mac, just to name a few.   She loved when we made her mix tapes to play so should could bop around at home and in her car.

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Our family would go on to live in Townsville, Ruse (Sydney), back to Townsville, Strathpine (Brisbane), Chattenden England, Sydney and finally Maclean.

It was during our family's first stint in Townsville where Mum would start playing ten-pin bowling, and would play every week of the season.

She loved her time with her fellow rollers, and would always regale us with stories and her scores.   She would continue knocking down pins with her friends regardless of where we were unit we moved to the UK in 1984.   With team names like the Wattles, Blue Angels, Rosebuds, Ten Pin Terrors and the Avengers, she would excel.

Visitors who would come to our house for the first time would always comment on the sheer number of trophies that lined the top of the display cabinet, her sons had been awarded, only to be quickly corrected by Mum saying – they’re mine.

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Mum loved playing sport.

Once we moved to Maclean, she started playing squash and would do so into the late 2000s. She even enlisted Christopher and his school friends to join the junior teams.

Later in life, Mum then found a different sport - dragon boat racing.   When she first informed me of this new venture via a phone call, the connection was very poor, and after a slight pause, I asked  ‘What car are you drag racing’.   Mum started laughing. She hung up and then called back after a couple of minutes to explain her new sport. She adored her dragon boat paddlers in and out of the water and had many adventures with them across the country.   At the age of 63, Mum would represent NSW in the 2010 Australian Dragon Boat Federation Championships, and spoke of it fondly. Her favourite team was fondly named, the Tarts.

For Mum sport was not just about the sport itself, nor competition, she valued the connections she made with people and their shared joy.

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From 1990, Mum started working for Home Care, assisting the elderly, and those in need, within their own homes and the community. From her time working in aged care, Mum made so many dear friends, including Wanda Mathias, who she was supported by right until the end.

She enjoyed her job and the people she worked with, and formed long-lasting friendships with people our family hold dear to this day.   Mum had reflected that she would sit on her veranda with a cup of tea and a biscuit or two, look out at the town and shed a silent tear for those she cared for who had passed.

She had a particular soft spot to two young boys she cared for, Clem & Angus Ballard. She spoke lovingly of them over the years and found their passing difficult, she never got over their loss.

Caring for people was important to Mum throughout her whole life. She cared deeply for people, spoke up when things weren’t right and made sure to share a laugh or a good story whenever possible.

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Kindness came naturally to Mum and she cherished deeply her four-legged friends.

Over the years we welcomed many dogs and pets in to our family and they all adored her. It was the loss of her sweet dog Harry in recent years that broke her heart.   They spent their days together side-by-side tending to the garden, checking out the neighbours, taking important naps, having chats, and eating a snack or – three.

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She warmly welcomed daughters-in-law Jenny Riddle and Sandra Grogan into her life, embracing them with the kind of love and care as if they were her own.   A connection built on mutual respect, laughter, support, and a deep, unwavering affection.   To her, they were her own daughters in every way that truly mattered.  Due to the distance of my wife’s own mother living in England, through their life’s milestones, everyday moments, and even the quiet in-betweens, she was a constant presence in Jenny’s life —offering wisdom, kindness, and a mother’s love that never wavered.

A little while later something happened to our family that would further enrich her life forever - grandchildren.

On the day that her first grandchild was born, she sat holding Brendan for two hours, just staring at him while an exhausted Jenny slept in the bed beside them. She would do the same with Matthew, Monty, Finley and Baxter.   She spoiled them just a little, allowed them snacks and freedoms – that weren’t quite so available during her sons’ childhoods – she created treasured memories for each one of them.

She enjoyed the two-way unconditional love, their joy, and the quality time they spent together. And they loved spending time with their Nanny.

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During her retirement Mum relished the freedom of time and the enjoyment of keeping active and social.

She would continue dragon boat racing, took time to travel with friends around Australia, including WA, Uluru and Tasmania, the odd cruise, volunteered at events, enjoyed coffee and outings with friends, and spent peaceful time at home in her garden. You would always catch Mum standing up from her garden beds to wave at passers-by, unless she wasn’t sure about you, in which case you would only get – the look.  

But it was the visits with or family that she treasured the most.

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As Mum’s dementia progressed she reluctantly surrendered to becoming cared for by others in her home and in aged care.

During this time, Mum openly welcomed Hanj Vasaya into our family, Christopher’s partner. The two quickly formed a bond, sharing a cheeky sense of humour and loving affection toward one another.

Her time at Whiddon was relatively short but she was able to enjoy the last stages of life with those nearest and dearest. She was much loved by the care team, found new mates – of course – and welcomed new people in to her life.

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In the end, our Mum, Nanny, and Lynnie, lived a full and meaningful life marked by love, kindness, laughter, and connection to other people.

She was devoted to her family, her friends, and those less fortunate, and had a warm spirit that touched the lives of all who knew her.

I have just three things to say on behalf of my brothers, my wife and her grandchildren.

We thank you,
We love you,
And we will forever miss you.