Graeme Potter, above, accepts the Maureen McKenzie Memorial Award on behalf of his late wife Joan, below. Looking on is YVRTA’s Margaret Baker. 53254
By Kath Gannaway
IT was a bittersweet moment for Graeme Potter when he accepted Yarra Valley Regional Tourism Association’s Maureen McKenzie Memorial Award on behalf of his late wife, Joan.
The award was presented at the annual general meeting of YVRTA at Rochford Winery on Wednesday, 1 September.
The response from members left no doubt Mrs Potter was a popular and deserving choice for the award, which recognises an outstanding contribution to tourism in the Yarra Valley.
Mrs Potter, who lived at Yering, had been a volunteer at the YVRTA for seven years when she died in May, just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.
YVRTA manager Jo Bagg said Mrs Potter was a valued member of the team who loved her role as a volunteer and was greatly missed.
Mr Potter spoke with emotion and pride about his wife’s passion for her role, her love of the work and the people she worked with and met each day, and her love of the Yarra Valley.
“She would come home and I would hear every detail of the places she had been, and the people she had met. She loved every minute of it,” he said.
Their daughter, Melinda Adair, said her mother had retired from a 24-year career in customer relations with Kodak and her volunteer work was a natural use of her flair for working with and assisting people.
“She made a lot of really good friends in Healesville,” Ms Adair said.
Maureen McKenzie was one of the YVRTA’s early members, whose passion for promoting local tourism and contribution to the association is marked with the annual award named in her honour.
