
Anne Devereux was a much-loved stalwart of community groups across Dunedin.
Guided by her parents’ ideals and work ethic, Anne was a hard-worker and lifelong volunteer. Her most notable work was with international non-profit La Leche League (LLL), where for more than 50 years Anne helped to promote breastfeeding through advocacy, training and education.
Catherine Anne Pickard, known as Anne, was born in Timaru on February 9, 1938 — the eldest daughter of William and Dorothy Pickard.
After secondary school, she moved to Dunedin where she completed a teaching diploma in 1958 and speech therapy diploma in 1959.
At a party in the student quarter, she met her husband John Devereux — "proving good things can happen on Castle St", John says — and they were married on May 10, 1960.
The couple had 11 children together and some of Anne’s early volunteer work was for parent-teacher associations at their schools.
Anne first became aware of La Leche League in 1970, just before the birth of her seventh child.
While she was initially seeking breastfeeding support herself, within two years she had become an accredited LLL leader, or breastfeeding counsellor.
As an LLL leader, Anne established and ran mother-to-mother support groups in Dunedin and spoke about breastfeeding issues to consumer groups and at conferences across the world.
She gained extensive governance experience at the league, developing global policies, education and legal frameworks.

"I remember [Anne] welcoming us into her home," she says.
Brylin later worked with her at LLL and said Anne’s advocacy and dedication had helped to make the league a success, locally and nationally.
"Up till a few months before she died, she was still training leaders.
"She achieved more than there were hours in the day."
Anne was New Zealand LLL national director from 1989 to 1994 and served on the international board of directors from 1994 to 2000. When she was appointed a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order in 2002, for community service, she had volunteered with LLL for 30 years and was the longest-serving leader in New Zealand.
Queensland dentist Dr Geoffrey Cheyne was one of many people who wrote impassioned letters supporting the nomination to make Anne a companion of the order.
"Anne’s complete belief in family and faith are the driving force behind her determined quest that all children get the best start in life and they grow in a loving, supportive, caring family and society," he wrote.
"To be with her is to find someone who has time and empathy, with an aura of spiritual peace."
At the time, Anne told the Otago Daily Times she had been honoured by the award.
"I’m accepting this on behalf of all the women out there who do exactly the same job that I do."

"As a child, I always thought that Dad would deserve to be honoured for all the unsung work he did," the letter read.
"So this honour is not just for me, but to my parents who taught me about commitment to ideals and helping others."
Anne was a key member during the establishment of Dunedin’s Refugee Support Group and helped secure accommodation and community support for newcomers to the city for over 30 years.
She also helped organise education and health programmes for refugee families. The support group laid the groundwork for Dunedin’s status as a refugee resettlement city.
She found time to volunteer with other groups, including the Dunedin Breastfeeding Network, the Otago branch of the New Zealand College of Midwives, the Refugee Support Group of Dunedin, the Cancer Society, Pregnancy Help and Otago Polytechnic’s English as a Second Language School.
She also helped locally establish the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative — an international programme launched by WHO and UNICEF.
Her daughter Caroline said in her spare time, Anne would knit and was part of a group who made patchwork blankets to be donated to overseas orphanages.
"She was always busy, always involved," Caroline said.
"Very determined to prove that you could have a large family ... and still be productive."
Anne died, unexpectedly but peacefully, at home on August 26, 2024, aged 86.
She is lovingly remembered by husband John; siblings Judith and Neill; children Caroline, John, James, Helen, Anna, Edward, Lucy, Emily, Nicholas, Charlotte; 30 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Another child, Barbara, predeceased her. —Ruby Shaw