OBITUARY: JENNY CAIN 1956 - 2003

Popular Rowville resident, Jenny Cain, passed away on 20th December 2003 after a long, brave battle with cancer.
A memorial service held at the Rowville Uniting Church on 29th December was probably one of the biggest ever seen in Rowville with both the church and the attached hall packed with family and friends who came to honour a much-loved woman whose life had been so important to many, many people.
Jenny was born in 1956, the second child of Harrie and Margaret Taylor of Invermay near Ballarat. She was educated at Invermay State School where she and her brothers Andrew and Bob were three of the 13 Taylors out of the 18 pupils in the small one-teacher school. Jenny went on to Sebastapol Tech and then to Ballarat College of Advanced Education where she completed a Degree in Humanities in 1974. While at the College Jenny was an active member of the student social committee. Another committee member was a student by the name of Steve Bracks with whom she shared a strong commitment to the Australian Labor Party.
Jenny was soon to share a commitment of a much more personal kind when she met and fell in love with a young art student, Kim Cain, and they were engaged on Jenny’s 21st birthday and married the following year.
Jenny always had a strong feeling for the underdog and after gaining her Diploma of Education at Hawthorn State College and then her Graduate Diploma in Special Education at Melbourne University, she went on to specialise in teaching struggling secondary students to read.
Meanwhile Kim had commenced studies to prepare himself for the ministry and after being appointed to Montmorency Uniting Church, was called in 1990 as Minister of the Uniting Church in Rowville. Once here Kim and Jenny threw themselves into the life of both the congregation and the wider community and they quickly established themselves as key people in pressing for facilities and services for Rowville. Their outstanding project was the Bridgewater Centre for which they gained the support of politicians, councillors, business people and many “ordinary” folk. Of great significance was Jenny’s idea to produce a recipe to enter in the Paul Newman Foundation Cooking Competition. Jenny’s Mexican lamb recipe (given the name of “Bandito Jumbucks” by Kim) made Jenny the Victorian winner with a $20,000 prize to be donated to a charity of her choice. Jenny chose the Bridgewater Centre and this money became the seeding finance for the Centre which helps so many in the community today.
While all this was going on Jenny was, of course, a young mother with three children: Lauren, Jesse and Thomas, for whom she gave her all. She always encouraged them in their studies and interests, and to strive to achieve their full potential. During the service to celebrate Jenny’s life, Lauren spoke of her “cool mum”, Jesse displayed an audio-visual presentation and Thomas read from the Bible.
In his eulogy at Jenny’s memorial service, the Reverend Malcolm Frazer spoke with warmth of a bright, vibrant Jenny, of a woman with a great sense of humour but also one who could “ get under our skins” – a woman who could touch our lives at a deeper level.
We all miss you Jenny but we are certainly better people for having known you.
In conclusion I’ll quote from part of Malcolm’s eulogy:
“Jenny’s influence has been enormous, not only upon our lives, and this Church, but upon this whole community – and upon so many, many people who have never even heard of Jenny Cain, yet whose lives have been enriched through this ministry that helps build bridges for those crossing through troubled waters.”

Prepared by Bryan Power with the assistance of Rev Malcolm Frazer, Kerryn Davies and Kim, Lauren, Jesse and Thomas Cain.

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