On April 21 2009 I was the Celebrant for the funeral service at Newtown and Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland for Joan Carey, a peace activist I had known for over three decades.

Here are my opening remarks for the funeral service:

We are gathered together today to celebrate the life of Joan Carey.

We will hear a few recollections about her long and diverse life in her personal, political and peace-making capacities. Such a long and colourful life can only be briefly covered and I am sure that we won't be able to say all that needs to be said about Joan.

Everyone spoke well of Joan and so many people would like to have spoken about Joan today.

By way of introduction I have been asked to comment briefly on Joan's peace-making work. In summary I would say that peace also has its own heroes and heroines.

She was an early and consistent critic of nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining. She is well known in particular in the Sutherland area for her role in the Lucas Heights controversies.

Joan was an active member of a number of key groups - many of which are represented here today. Save our Sons (SOS) was an early opponent of the Vietnam War. Joan of course was proved right about Vietnam and today Australia is at peace with Vietnam and trading with it.

Other organizations are: People for Nuclear Disarmament (PND) - formerly called Association for International Co-operation and Disarmament (AICD) whose Melbourne sister organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year - and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), one of the world's oldest peace organizations, whose NSW branch celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Again Joan has been proved right on the nuclear issue - well ahead of the established politicians. Even President Reagan - two decades ago - said a nuclear war could never be won and should never be fought. Wise words - but had Joan expressed those sentiments two decades ahead of the president. But , then, those men were slow learners - and Joan was a fast one!

To conclude, here are three characteristics of Joan's peace-making work. First, she kept the flame of hope of alive. Peace activists come and go but Joan kept on keeping on. She always believed that a better world was possible. She knew that there is no long service leave for peace activists - it is a long-term commitment. Thankfully she lived long enough to see some progress made in nuclear disarmament.

Second, there was her quiet efficiency. She was a very good organizer, not least behind the scenes. Organizations and meetings ran smoothly if Joan was around.

Finally she was involved in causes larger than herself. She had no time for self-absorbed introspection. There was a world out there to save and not a moment to lose.

We shall all very much miss Joan Carey - a heroine for peace.

Keith Suter