OTTAWA, Jan. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - Maureen and I are very sorry to hear of Jean's death, and extend our condolences to both her direct family, and the much larger family of admirers and friends in whose lives she played such a central role. Family was second nature to Jean - she was born an Ottawa Valley Morrison and was immensely proud of her parents' high standard of community service, which she and her sisters then exemplified and extended.
Her approach was straightforward: she made people welcome, and then she put them to work. Behind her homespun manner was a remarkable capacity to persuade the doubtful, and to get things done. In the House of Commons, and then in the highly-charged atmosphere of my new Prime Minister's Office, in 1979, she made her colleagues comfortable, and therefore confident enough to be their best. As Chair of the National Capital Commission, her leadership was emphatic in opening the national capital to the rest of the country - she helped make Canadians feel "at home" in their own capital, and aware of the history we share. We will miss Jean Pigott greatly, but know her legacy is set deep in the National Capital District, which was her home, and in the memories and gratitude of her legions of admirers and friends.
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