King & Company remembers Anna Pizzica…

Anna Pizzica lost her battle with cancer on the evening of 16 October 2008. The partners and staff of King & Company are honoured to make the following tribute to her.

Anna commenced working with the firm in 1969, as a 16 year old junior secretary to the late Geoffrey Fynes-Clinton. To the best of our knowledge, it was the only job she ever applied for and, most certainly, she never worked anywhere else.

By 1979, Anna had her own office and office car and was King & Company’s office manager. Her office car became known as the “Pizzi-car”. For those starting employment with the firm at the time, she was widely and respectfully regarded as Geoff Fynes-Clinton’s “Man Friday”.

Between 1980 and 1985 (when King & Company commenced its focus on its now primary practice area of local government law), Anna was the glue that kept the practice together. She had complete responsibility for managing the finance and administration of the office, whilst at the same time, running all of the firm’s conveyancing matters.

At the time of Geoff Fynes-Clinton’s death in 1987, Anna had other priorities in her life, namely her husband Geoff and a soon to be born Rebecca. Those family priorities notwithstanding, Anna continued to run the firm’s conveyancing practice and, probably more importantly, became the firm’s matriarch, particularly when it came to mentoring new young employees of the firm. One of Anna’s most enduring qualities was her genuine care and concern for the well-being of her colleagues.

Her cooking abilities were also shared with us, or at least some of us, on a regular basis. Many was there an occasion when Anna would bring one of her latest sweet creations to share with the people that worked around her, on level 7 – much to the complete disgust of those of us on level 6. We never got a look in. There were never any leftovers.

Arguably, the best image we remember Anna by is our most recent Xmas Party/BBQ in the park. After experimenting with a catered function the year before and not thinking very much of the caterers’ efforts, Anna volunteered to organise the following year’s event. And what an event it was – the meat, the salads, the sweets at the end – all prepared by Anna to perfection. When it came to food she was in control, she barked the orders, and those helping her obeyed. She loved it, and so did we.

We extend our ongoing sympathies and support to Anna's husband, Geoff, and her daughters Rebecca and Vanessa. Whilst Anna is now gone, she will never be forgotten.