Jenny Chisholm

CHISHOLM,  Jenny. In her sleep on June 15th 2026, aged 93. Wife of the late Tony, mother of Lesley and Murray. Many thanks to the staff of Karori Village for their wonderful care.

TRIBUTES

Hugh Reekie

I am so sorry to hear of your passing. You were such a kind caring person. My thoughts travel from Ottawa Canada. Remembering the times we had in St. Andrew’s Scotland.

Elspeth Preddey

My deep sympathy to Lesley and Murray. I remember Jenny with great fondness from the time she was on the staff of Onslow College, and I was a senior student there, back in the late 1950s I think.
It was a pleasure to meet her again when I married George Preddey and moved to Wadestown. We went to Wadestown Playcentre with our children, and to the Presbyterian Church from time to time, as well as both being part of a religious dance group which performed occasionally in both the Wadestown Anglican and the Presbyterian churches. Jenny also invited me to be part of the Taize (spg?) services she led. I have lost touch since George died 31/2 years ago. She and George were both regular letter writers to the papers. They would have good conversations about topics of concern. Of course she and I were also part of the Scottish Dancing network. Memories!! May you have many fond ones.

Lilias Bell

Jenny was a special friend who had almost 30 years of life ahead of me. It was a joy to discover the woman behind the lovely lady first met at Wadestown Church who wrote the newsletter and always had socks to match her brightly coloured tops. She taught me to make crab apple jelly but our friendship developed when I became her “jelly-maker’s apprentice.” It was so much more than making jelly. We had lovely long conversations over tea as the pot bubbled. We shared so much as she spoke of her childhood, her adventurous travels hitching around Europe as a young woman, her books, her poetry and her passion for the albatross colony and of course, her beloved grandchildren. We had a wonderful adventure travelling to Matarangi for over a week for her birthday.  I loved taking her to the beach at night to see the stars and see how she blossomed when seeing old friends. Jenny grabbed whatever life threw at her with both hands and dealt with the challenges with humour and grace. She will be missed by so many.

Rosemary Cole

To All the Chisholm Whanau,
‘Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone’
‘ Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.’
W.H. Auden
Thursday morning`s fortnightly poetry times with Jenny were a joy and will be sorely missed.
Kua hinga te tōtara i te wao-nui-a-Tāne/A tōtara has fallen in the great forest of Tāne…
Haere, haere, haere atu rā e hoa, nā, /Farewell for ever my friend, from,
Rosemary Cole.

Ian and Marjory Monro (Of Winchester now Devon TQ109AF)

Many happy memories of meeting up with Jenny and Tony and family both in Winchester and Wellington.
A friendship of over 65 years easily spanning the distance between NZ and UK. Her letters were always lively and interesting and we will miss her.
Greetings and commiserations to Lesley and Murray and the grandchildren of whom she was so proud.
With our love
Ian and Marjory.

Kristin Downey

Johnsonville Scottish Country Dance Club remembers Jenny Gubbins (as she then was) as one of the early tutors of the club, which grew out of a friendship group of St Columba’s Church. In the church’s newsletter ‘The Fragment’, the August 1965 and 1966 publications mention Jenny: ‘We acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Miss Jenny Gubbins for the time she gives in teaching members the various intricate dances.’ and ‘Miss Jenny Gubbins is a capable instructress and the members are appreciative of all that she has done for the club.’ Johnsonville SCDC continues to value the part Jenny played in building what was then, and is now, a flourishing Scottish country dance group, currently based at Khandallah Town Hall. We plan to add an article about Jenny to the club’s website https://www.johnsonvillescd.org.nz/ acknowledging her contribution.