Jeanette Lennartsson (1964–2014)

Zoe Patterson remembers Jeanette Lennartsson, Lecturer in Graphic Design in ECA’s School of Design.

Jeanette Lennartsson was our friend and colleague; staff and students within the School of Design are devastated by her loss.

Jeanette started her teaching career in the Graphic Design department at ECA in 1998 and worked across all year groups. One of her best qualities as a tutor was her amazing knowledge of the art scene. There wasn’t an exhibition, performance or gallery opening she hadn’t been to (glass of wine in hand) or had an opinion about.

Jeanette’s students found her insight invaluable, helping them to contextualise their work. She was astonishingly well read and had a great grasp of cultures and languages. In recent years she was rightly pleased and proud that she had achieved a PgCert distinction.

At Jeanette’s funeral her friends and family captured the essence of her… her passion for life, inquisitiveness, humour, her thrift and by contrast her generosity, her love of conversation and debate, and her fascination with Edinburgh’s property prices.

Colleagues particularly remember her intelligence, her worries, strong opinions, caring nature, her pride in her students and of course her love of gossip!

Jeanette was at all times passionate and enquiring. She couldn’t sit still and was always hopping from desk to desk and from student to student to do what she did best - talk. Her conversations were deep, questioning, meaningful, challenging and honest.

As a friend Jeanette was never one to tell you what you wanted to hear but always told you what you needed to hear. I for one miss this already.

Notes

Zoe Patterson is Programme Director for Graphic Design, in the School of Design at ECA.