Jan Cook - Part of the Hospice Story Since 1986
Jan celebrating with her fellow volunteers at the Hospice Christmas party in 2010.
Some people quietly become part of the heart of an organisation, and for Lake Taupo Hospice, Jan Cook is certainly one of those people.
Jan’s connection with Hospice stretches back an incredible four decades. She first began volunteering in 1986 and became the very first secretary for the Lake Taupō Hospice Trust — helping support the organisation during its earliest years as Hospice care in the district was just beginning to grow.
At the time, Jan was working as a shorthand typist for the St Andrews Parish Office, a role that provided flexible part-time work while raising her young family. Even then, community and caring for others were woven into everything she did.
Christine Rankin (CEO) and Jan Cook accepting her award for 20 years of service.
Hospice became deeply personal for Jan when her husband went into Hospice care and sadly passed away in 1998. Jan speaks with immense gratitude about the support they received during that time, especially from Peggy Donaldson, who would come to their home, sit with her husband, and provide care and comfort when it was needed most.
After a few years away, Jan returned to volunteering and became involved with the early Hospice garage sales held on Puriri Street every Wednesday. Those now-infamous sales quickly became legendary in Taupō, with Jan still laughing — and involuntarily shivering — at the memory of being out on some rather chilly mornings, placing items on racks. The incredible success of these community garage sales became the catalyst for opening the very first Hospice retail store, beginning a retail journey that continues to help support patient care across the district today.
Jan has been in many volunteer roles over the years, including being a much-loved face at the Taupō Hospice Shop, and now continues to contribute her skills through her incredible sewing talent.
Armed with her trusted Bernina sewing machine, which she purchased soon after leaving school, Jan has spent decades creating, repairing, and repurposing textiles with incredible care. Her sewing machine is rarely put away and has become a constant feature on her dining table — always ready for the next creation or repair project.
Jan with her trusty Bernina sewing machine still sewing and repairing woolen blankets to sell at the shop.
For many years she has spent many hours rebinding old woollen blankets that have been donated to the Hospice shop, giving them a second life where possible. When blankets are beyond repair, she carefully salvages the best pieces to create beautiful baby blankets and cushions instead.
These handmade creations have become treasured items in the Hospice shop — practical, beautiful, and keeping countless woollen treasures out of landfill.
Over the years Jan has sewn everything from children’s clothing and baby gowns to household furnishings, but quilting remains her greatest passion. She has been a dedicated quilter for more than 30 years and continues to pour creativity and love into every piece she makes. When asked about her many years with Hospice, Jan simply says it has been “a lot of fun.”
But for everyone at Hospice, Jan has been so much more than fun. She has been part of the history, heart, and growth of Hospice in Taupō for 40 years — through years of dedicated service.