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Joanna Ruth Lang
6 May 1975 - 31 May 2004
We are saddened to report the death in a road accident on 31 May 2004 of Joanna Lang; Editor of CMA Members’ News. Her friend and colleague Nicola Franklin remembers her.
“A professional ranger in every sense of the word, Jo was known to many CMA members through her untiring work in the region, on the CMA Marketing Group and on the organizing team for various events including the superb 2002 Conference & AGM at Moulton College (Northants).
It was from Moulton that Jo graduated having studied Countryside Management there, moving just up the road to her first appointment at Brixworth CP. Jo was at Brixworth CP for over 5 years progressing from there to become Senior Ranger at Ryton Pools CP (Warwickshire) in December 2002.
If there was a job needed doing you could always rely on Jo to step forward when many others would step back. This characteristic was an indication of her strength and qualities, always prepared to lead by example and a credit to her profession. She worked on many projects to help develop Brixworth CP. The sensory garden was one of her favorites so much so that she had started to create one at Ryton Pools.
Jo was loved by the regular park visitors; the volunteers and school groups and by her colleagues. Her work brought her into contact with young and old alike but it was with the younger generation that Jo’s skills really came to the fore. Full of fun and with a warm smile for everyone, many thousands have been touched by Jo’s special gift for communicating the wonders of the world around us.
Jo loved adventure – she even persuaded four of her colleagues (including me) to do a tandem sky dive for charity. She also enjoyed walking, especially in the Lake District and there was no way that anyone could beat her to the summit of any hill no matter how high or how steep! One of her new-found joys was fishing and this was possibly the only time that Jo ever stayed still!
But Jo’s special love was her motorbike. In May this year she visited France with her husband Steve and several friends to see the Le Mans bike races. She commented on what a fantastic time they’d have in spite of the 600 bike trip.
As her colleague Sarah said at her funeral service – “God must have had a very big event on 31 May and needed a good organizer in charge – so he chose Jo”.
Jo died in a bike accident on 31 May this year. She was my friend, a fantastic ranger and an amazing woman. We will all miss her."
Nicola Franklin