Vanessa Rosen

Vanessa was a talented art photographer. She completed a Fine Arts Degree in photography. However, Vanessa did not want to work in that field – preferring to keep her photography as a pure art form. Instead she followed a very successful career in marketing, in operational and management roles. She completed almost all of a Business degree in marketing, part time. As well, Vanessa became a keen painter in her 30’s working with a group at the Gasworks Art Park. When Leo was born, she made the decision to focus on her family first and returned to mainly part time and contract marketing roles. When Leo was young Vanessa spent a lot of time assisting at Lloyd Street School in Malvern East, where she made lasting friendships. Vanessa and Don met in 1990 and they lived in Richmond until 2000, when they moved to Northcote. In 2004 Vanessa, Don and Leo moved to Malvern East. At first Vanessa missed trendy Richmond and arty Northcote but settled when she made friends. A great designer, she transformed a rundown farm house that she and Don bought at Welshman’s Reef, in Central Victoria, in 1997. After 14 years there (spending weekends and holidays) Vanessa decided on a ‘sea change’ and they bought a modest mid-century beach house at Coronet Bay in 2011. Another opportunity to transform this into a showpiece was grasped successfully by Vanessa. As her health deteriorated and Leo’s basketball activities increased it became necessary to sell this beloved haven. After the usual processes the final papers were signed; a week before Vanessa’s death. Vanessa was a keen traveller. The Rosen family: Rex, Margaret, Vanessa and Emma travelled virtually every inch of Australia in their car, and there was hardly a place that Vanessa couldn’t describe in detail. Don and Vanessa travelled extensively through Europe in 1994, spent months on the east coast USA, in New York and the surrounding states in 2002 and ‘did’ the South Island of New Zealand. With Leo and Don she organised trips to Western Districts, Victoria, Far North Queensland and South Coast NSW (which Vanessa loved). A tour of Tasmania in 2014 was made a few months before Vanessa’s brain tumour was diagnosed. Vanessa was very fortunate to have a loving and doting family and grew up in the comfortable leafy suburbs of Mont Albert and Balwyn. She attended Camberwell Grammar School, Brighton Technical College photography school and the Victorian College of the Arts campus of Melbourne University. Her parents, Margaret and Rex wholeheartedly encouraged and supported her in her studies and ambitions. Apart from her beautiful son Leo and the wonderful memories of a life, not long, but well lived Vanessa left behind a treasure trove of magnificent photographs. The last task she completed was to put the images into folders etcetera – something that most photographers don’t enjoy doing at all, but something she needed to do.