Community stalwart much missed by friends and family

JAN GARRISON WAS born on December 7, 1941. She was brought up by her mother as her father was killed in a hit and run accident on December 31, 1941.

Her mum was both mum and dad to her and she never remarried. She had to live with financial hardship as they were tough times in those days.

Jan left school aged 15 and got a job with Cadbury's in the graphic design office. This did not suit her so she got a job with the Lucas motor part company. She left after 12 months as the typing pool was so noisy.

Jan then joined a builders merchants called WT Burden Ltd and stayed with them for 25 years, having reached the position of personal assistant to the managing director.

During her time there she met John and used to get him a cup of tea when he called in to collect materials.

One day she dashed out and caught John and handed him an envelope saying open it when you get home. This John did and it contained an invitation to Jan's 21st birthday party: little did John know, but Jan was trying to pair him off with her friend who had just lost her boyfriend.

When the friend arrived with a new boyfriend it scuppered her plans. However during the party Jan went and sat on John's lap and asked if he had a girlfriend; he said no, so she said well you have now. That is how Jan and John got together, although they went to the same school.

Two weeks later John asked Jan to marry him, she said to leave it a week then ask again if he felt the same. This he did and Jan said, you'll have to ask my mom. He said: "I don't want to marry her!"

Anyway he did ask and her mum was overjoyed; she said, "You're the son I never had." They got on something 'ansom.

They got engaged on April 6, 1963, and got married on August 22, 1964, at St Martin's, in the Bull Ring, Birmingham.

They lived with Jan's mum for two years while saving very hard for a deposit for a house. They moved to a new house in 1966, which was 14 miles from her mum.

Jan moved heaven and earth to get her mum moved to a warden-controlled flat, and this she achieved in 1979.

In 1985, Jan suggested they start their own business, which following a hard start became very successful.

In 1989 they moved to a four-bedroomed bungalow and incorporated a granny flat for mum. Sadly, ten days after moving in, her mum passed away.

Jan had holidayed in Cornwall since 1963, sometimes twice a year, and both herself and John fell deeply in love with not only the area, but the many friends they had there as well.

The holidays started in St Ives, then Newlyn, then Penzance, and finally Marazion.

It was decided to sell the bungalow and move to her beloved Cornwall; this took three years and due to the slump in the market they had to take a £30,000 loss on the sale. This did not deter Jan; as anyone that knew her would know, when she set her mind on something it happened.

The move to Cornwall was made on August 22, 1994, and the first thing she did was to join Penzance Chamber of Commerce.

It was decided to set up a business similar to their earlier one; this went well until 1998 when John had a small heart attack, so the business closed in February 2000.

They attended all chamber of commerce meetings for 12 months and were asked if all was okay, as they had not had much input; Jan said: "We have listened to how you do things down here and have learnt a lot; just because we came from a large city environment it doesn't mean we know it all.

"Far be it from us to try and tell the local people how to do things, they can teach us a thing or two."

This attitude is probably the reason for the wonderful relationship Jan had with the Cornish.

In 1996, Jan was attending a police meeting when the then local commander, Scott Senior, approached her, saying "I understand you were quite active in Neighbourhood Watch in the Midlands: will you give us your help to expand ours?"

As usual Jan loved a challenge and immediately set up the Penwith Neighbourhood Watch Trust and invited the help of her husband, John, as well as Glyn White, Bill Semmens and Bryan Marshall as trustees.

The first thing she did was to approach Penwith District Council to help fund the printing cost of a magazine called Penwatch.

Martin Hayley helped her; he said: "When Jan asks for anything it's more like a demand – you feel it's your duty to do it." She then got sponsors to obtain a small caravan, which was towed by the police to various venues around Penwith to support Neighbourhood Watch.

Two years later she got together with Scott Senior and he managed to secure funding to purchase a Mercedes Sprinter van which was launched in 2001.

In 2001 Jan was awarded the Alan Harvey Citizen of the Year Award for services to the community. She was also given a special commendation for services to Neighbourhood Watch by Sir John Evans.

She then received the Senior Heroes award for both community and charity work.

In 2005 Jan was very poorly and was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital for a major operation, from which she made a good recovery.

Jan was a driving force and got John to give out presents to the children of Penzance as Father Christmas for many years.

She supported Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital, Newlyn Male Choir, St Peter's Players Penzance Operatic Society, the RSPB and also the Woodland Trust.

Jan has also, behind the scenes, fought desperately to save West Cornwall Hospital.

In January 2011 Jan got cellulitis in both legs and had district nurses call in every day to dress them.

She was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital and nine days later, sadly passed away from septicaemia.

She is such an enormous loss to her husband, John; many friends, and the local community.

article copyright THE CORNISHMAN