14/10/2021
I have been asked by several friends to share the tribute read at Janice Macrae service, as traffic noise on Monday had an negative impact and some people had difficulty hearing the full tribute.
Janice Mackay Melville was born on the 4th December 1965 at home in 4 Grant Crescent, Golspie, the youngest child of the late John and Barbara Melville. Janice made a swift arrival into the world which was typical of her once she set her mind to something and set the tone for her approach to life.
Seacrest was the family home for many years where she grew up with her older siblings Jacqui and Ian. Life was good and Janice’s childhood was spent playing on the beach, making sand-pies on the sea wall, paddling in the ‘Dickie pool’, treasure hunts and hide and seek and many hours spent with their pony Brandy, riding along the Main Street, stopping at the house for carrots and barley sugars.
Despite being the younger of the two sisters, Janice was very much ‘the protective big sister’ to Jacqui. When Janice joined Primary 1 at Golspie Primary, she escorted Jacqui into her line in Primary 3 and kissed her goodbye, making sure that she was okay. This was the pattern for the rest of Janice’s life. Always ready to stand up for family and friends or challenge unfairness, she proved time and time again that she was a loyal and steadfast friend.
Janice attended the local Primary school then Golspie High School between 1978 and 1983 where she made many friends who she remained close to throughout her life, some of whom are here today. We have received many heartfelt messages from lifelong friends of Janice who have been sharing happy memories of her and who will miss her presence in their lives.
During her school years Janice was an active member of the swimming club and would attend training sessions in the morning before school. She took part in swimming competitions around Scotland and demonstrated the enthusiasm and commitment that she embodied in all that she undertook in life. Janice then worked at the Sutherland Swimming pool for a period after leaving school prior to her beginning her training to become a nurse.
Janice’s career in nursing began in 1985 when she moved to Inverness to begin her studies at the Highland College of Nursing & Midwifery. She completed her General Nurse training in May 1988 and took up her first position as a Staff Nurse in Inverness in September 1988. During her training at Raigmore she lived in the nurse’s accommodation at Firth Court sharing a flat and again forging lifelong friendships.
Once qualified Janice purchased her flat on Queen Street, Inverness where she lived for some time. She returned to study at the Highland College of Nursing & Midwifery in 1990 where she was a Student Midwife until the Summer of 1991. She then spent the next two and a half years as a Staff Midwife until April 1994 when she moved into the position of Community Midwife based out of Dingwall. After her marriage to Paul in 1993 Janice then looked for employment nearer home and soon took up her position with the East Sutherland Midwifery and Community Nursing Team, working as a Community Staff Nurse and Midwife, based between Brora and Helmsdale.
Janice continued to demonstrate her commitment to provide the very best care for her patients and develop her skills as a practitioner, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Cancer and Palliative Care from Napier University. In March 2012 she was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Frontline Leadership and Management, with merit, from the De Montfort University in Leicester.
Janice was promoted to the role of Advanced practitioner and led the community nursing team prior to her planned retirement in December of last year.
Janice and Paul married on the 9 July 1993 in the Free Church of Scotland Golspie holding their wedding reception at the Stag’s head Hotel. They began married life in their home in Tower Street in Golspie, living there until recently when they moved into the house where we are today.
Janice and Paul became proud parents with the happy arrival of Benjamin who was born in May 1996 and later Mitchell who completed the family, arriving in December 2002. For the remainder of her life Janice’s boys were at the heart of all that she did, and they were her pride and joy. There was an open door for their friends, and she took them all under her wing. She had an especially close relationship with Kevin Floydd who she thought of almost as another son. Kevin has also been known to refer to Janice as his “other mum”.
Benjamin’s friend said of Janice “she was so good to me ……she was my first true female role model and always said it how it was …. she will be truly missed, she will never be forgotten”.
Another of Janice’s classmates messaged Mitchell “I joined Golspie Primary in 1973. The first person who talked to me was Janice Melville, her and Gillian Matty. Your mam said ‘don’t be scared, we will look after you … as she did all her life to so many people. Years later my wife unexpectedly goes into labour and who was the midwife who accompanied her? My old classmate Janice!”
So many messages, so many memories, over the last few days it has become apparent that you could write a book chronicling Janice’s life and her experiences.
From childhood Janice loved animals. The family had various pets…. A rabbit named Hoppy, several hamsters named Hammy, a tortoise called Timmy and most notably a beagle called Rover. Not the most inspired of names for our pets in hindsight. There were goldfish and a budgie and Brandy, the pony. Many happy hours were spent with the horses over the following years. Janice looked forward to the day when she would again be able to indulge her interest and love of horses and once again have a horse of her own. Horses and dogs were very much part of Janice’s retirement plans and she looked forward to being able to spend time with her animals.
Janice first became involved in the animal rescue charity Oscar’s Legacy in April 2016 when she was helping organise the collection of two dogs coming from Romania to be adopted by her mum, Barrie and sister, Jacqui. Janice struck up a friendship with the UK-based rescuer, Judith, who was making the arrangements for travel within the UK and eventually she decided to get involved herself. Janice spent the 5 years since then working with Judith and Anca, their rescuer in Romania, and together they raised thousands of pounds which went towards rescuing, feeding, and caring for the countless Romanian street dogs who are alive today thanks to Oscar’s Legacy.
Janice was sociable, outgoing, energetic, and always up for a laugh. Never one to rest on her laurels she was always on the go, at the drop of a hat she would be there for you. She was loyal and steadfast and would do anything she could for family and friends. The relationships she had with the people she cared about were enduring and it says everything about the kind of person that Janice was that so many people have talked about these qualities in their messages to us. She was practical and when she set her mind to something, she rolled up her sleeves and just got on with it. She worked hard and lived her life to the fullest. She had a positive mindset and even though she had been unwell, she was determined to face things head on. She never lost her sense of humour and her overriding thoughts even during the last few weeks were for her family and ensuring that her boys were going to be okay. She was only a wee thing but had the heart of a lion and a huge capacity for love.
Janice wanted to be at home and its thanks to the dedication and support from a very special group of people that we were able to manage this. You know who you are….
Janice was a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen and attended concerts in Newcastle and Glasgow over the years. It is fitting that The Boss is played for her one last time.
And finally, the family would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has sent messages of condolence, the lovely comments and memories shared with us, cards, offers of help and support, the food parcels and just the overwhelming love that has been showered on Janice and ourselves. It is perhaps testament to the person that Janice was that friends and the community have shown us such kindness and support. Thank you all.
Jacqui Anderson
Benjamin Macrae
Mitchell Macrae
Paul Macrae
