Vale Leonie Porter-Nocella

In the early years of FLM – as a start-up business – we were incredibly lucky to have Leonie as our editor. She loved the region and prided herself on knowing all of the food producers and chefs. She loved it when a new cafe or restaurant would open and would be one of the first to book in. She appreciated a good coffee and would critique it with a simple, ‘it’s good’ or a lament of ‘oh no, it’s bad.’ No further discussion necessary.

Jason and I spent innumerable Sundays around Paolo and Leonie’s dining table eating a delicious three, four or sometimes even five course meal prepared by either Leonie or Paolo. Their love of food and generosity was gratefully shared with many of their friends and family.

It was always extra fun when Leonie’s sister, Lynette, would show up and regale us with stories of their growing up which would be punctuated with uproarious laughter and a great many interjections from both sides. Leonie did love to laugh.

Leonie was very well qualified for her job as FLM’s first editor. In the early nineties she was part of the Distance Learning project created by the University of South Australia, well ahead of most other Australian academic institutions. From the Underdale campus, where she was based, she pioneered the project herself working from home in Rushton Street, Goodwood and travelling to Underdale only once a week for meetings. Here she allegedly instructed her husband that, in case of a fall outside the dedicated office room, he should drag her back into her office so that she could be covered by worker’s comp.

The Distance Learning project was a fitting position for someone who had dedicated her own life of learning and academic studies to the English language, mainly through the prism of her literary heroes William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Her solid and substantial linguistic knowledge was one of the reasons that led to her being invited to contribute to the Macquarie Dictionary, the dictionary of Australian English, which every year updates the list of terms that feature in the dictionary.

Just before joining the Distance Learning project, Leonie had completed three years as Secretary of the Italian Chamber of

Commerce in South Australia. In this role she introduced a number of new practices and a new, revamped magazine, improving its circulation substantially beyond the Chamber’s membership. This was thanks not only to a new graphic style and logo (created with Jason’s input) but also to focusing on content that was specifically relevant to members, as well as business people involved in trade between Italy and South Australia. A distinctive feature was the front page where a selected South Australian entrepreneur would appear with a twopage story inside. Leonie conducted all the interviews herself with the help of her favourite commercial photographer, honing her skills for what was to happen later on when she interviewed dozens of local winemakers, food producers, restaurateurs and artists on the Fleurieu Peninsula for FLM.

If something exists that encapsulates Leonie’s attitude towards those who are sloppy, lazy, or simply ignorant of correct English, it’s probably the cartoon below by Jon Kudelka. Leonie spotted it in a little shop in Hobart’s Salamanca Place and had to buy it. She was even more delighted when she was told that the much admired cartoonist was living very close to the shop and she was able to meet him and have a chat. She took her cartoon wherever she went.

In the words of Dr Seuss; Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened. We are smiling because she was a great wife and mum, a dear friend and her eternally generous spirit lives on in us.