In Memoriam: Mandy Blain
It is with immense sadness that I report the passing of Mandy Blain, wife and life partner of Robin Blain and without a hint of exaggeration, the Mother of the JRA. Without the unsung hard work and dedication of Mandy Blain no-one would be reading these words today or enjoying their membership of this organisation. From the formation of the JRA in 1980, with Mandy as Secretary, almost all administrative work was carried out by her for the next 20+ years.
For those too young to know or too old to remember, the technological assistance available in those early years was a.] a manual typewriter (the first Newsletter Editor, Richard Stroud, was using a 1936 Underwood) b.] a landline phone c.] access to a ‘duplicator’ (early photocopier)… if you knew someone working for a large company.
While Robin fielded hundreds of enquiries and handwrote reams of letters from would-be junk rig sailors, Mandy hand-typed multiple copies of the newsletter and the address labels, filled the envelopes, maintained membership records, subscriptions and the association accounts by hand, year after year, and was always a willing hand to physically set up and manage the many rallies and meetings that the association organised and the regular attendance of the JRA at Boat Shows.
Mandy Blain’s planning abilities and adroit adoptions of later technological advances such as word-processing, email and spreadsheets, sustained the association’s survival and success through the decades that followed. The unfailing support she provided to Robin and other committee members was an invaluable contribution both to the functioning and to the enjoyment the JRA has provided to its hundreds of members over the years.
Guy Blain has penned this note to friends of the family; since that will surely include many remaining members of the JRA, it reads as follows:
“It is with sadness that I must let you know of my mother’s passing the morning of last Tuesday (20th).
As you may have known Mum was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer towards the end of last year. She accepted this news with outstanding grace and fortitude and was determined to make the very best of her time left, intending to see her improvements to her garden come to fruition.
Mum was at home in the last months, with excellent palliative care and my brother Chris and I were with her at the end and she did indeed get to see all her bulbs, planted last winter, come up into bloom as she wished.
Due to Covid and other complications, the funeral will be held over until early June. We are looking to enable live streaming if possible or at the very least a video recording of the service, the details of which we will forward onto you.
If you wish to share your thoughts and memories of her, please do, so I can also share with family and friends, this email address will remain active for a while: mandy@sunbirdmarine.com
I hope that you remember my mother at her best and find peace in that she has re-joined my father and will be sorting him out once more!”
Guy Blain