Liane cared for others
TV show regular dies, 61
LIANE Jonas shone on television alongside Darryl Cotton and broke frontiers in exercise but long-time friends said glowing compassion defined her.
After having nursed her dependent husband Steve for almost 10 years after his series of strokes, she nursed his mother through dementia for three more and all the while cared for her many circles of friends.
Enduring pal from teenage years Wendy Browne said it was no surprise so many people had said after her death on Monday that they had lost a best friend. “She would have to be the most compassionate person I’ve ever met,” Mrs Browne said.
“She loved doing things for people. The more she could do things for people the happier she was, a remarkable woman, and she had many different twists and turns in her life.”
Mrs Jonas, mother of Tyson and Teneille and grandmother of two, died at 61 after diagnosis with breast cancer three years ago.
After a high-profile life in Melbourne working in television, radio and fitness, she lived in St Leonards for a decade and Portarlington for three years, her local passions including working as a civil celebrant and joining local quilting groups.
The former Liane Scurrah debuted on television in the mid-70s performing fitness routines on Good Morning Australia and other shows, and was a regular on the long-running children’s program The Early Bird Show with Cotton and Marty Monster, as well as appearing on Neighbours and Young Talent Time.
She also worked on radio 3AK with John Blackman, 3UZ with Tony Barber, appeared regularly on 3AW and became the first woman to train VFL footballers with a combination of aerobics and pilates.
She met and married prominent public relations man Steve Jonas during the 1980s, helping run his Inspired Concepts company for a decade before he suffered an initial brain bleed in 1996.
Subsequent strokes left him entirely dependent on her care.
Long-time family friend and media colleague Tom Bennett said Mrs Jonas was devoted to family.
“Outwardly to people she was a media personality and performer but she was a lot more than that, she was a very kind hearted, very sensitive, very decent person who always looked at things from the other’s point of view,” Mr Bennett said.
A funeral service for Liane Jonas will be at Drysdale’s William Sheahan Funerals at 1pm on September 30.