It was with shock and great sadness that we learnt on Saturday the passing of Jan Pritchett; she had suffered a brain aneurysm.

Jan has been the President of the RVRA for the last five years and in that time has built the respect and trust of everybody she has worked with, ranging from state Ministers of Consumer Affairs, policy advisers, to board members of the Retirement Villages Association followed by the Retirement Living Council to village residents.

She always brought sensible balance to discussions on new legislation and regulations as well as resident and operator disputes.

What is little known is the personal sacrifices Jan made in her own time working to find solutions for residents in villages under duress. Two recent instances are The Woniora followed by Tenambit in the Hunter Valley, famous for its plastic irrigation pipe water supply.

A reflection of her dedication to the representation of village residents is her funeral notice; it requests donations be made to the RVRA in lieu of flowers.

Jan leaves her husband David, three children and seven grandchildren. She was 72.