This site is a tribute to Jean Hedley, who was born in Goudhurst, Kent on January 16, 1938 and died on May 26, 2018 aged 80. She is very much loved and lives on in the hearts of her family and friends.

Jean and Richard married in 1959 and she supported them both in her first year of teaching, while Richard was still a student. The birth of their eldest child, Aidan, in 1960 brought a temporary halt to Jean’s career. The young family moved south to settle in Fareham, Hampshire, where my father had landed a teaching post.

Jean went back to work in 1966, when Rachel her second child was aged four. The birth of Helen, in 1967 meant Jean was juggling a busy career and raising three children at a time when most mothers stayed-at-home. By 1972 she had progressed to be the head at Bedenham primary school, Gosport, a post she held for 22 years before moving to Meadowlands infant school, Waterlooville. She retired in 1996.

A growing awareness of nature conservation in the 1960s had led her to join the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. On retirement Jean threw herself into volunteering for the trust, becoming first chair and later president. Her charm and energy were harnessed to raise funds and campaign on vital issues.

Her beloved Richard died in 2016 and, despite illness and failing eyesight, Jean was determined to create a positive legacy. She hosted a fundraising art exhibition and set up the trust’s Richard Hedley Memorial Fund, to train a young ecologist. The funds raised through this site all contribute to this lasting legacy to creating a sustainable environment for future generations.