I was just thinking of Gretta today as I was making crepes from the recipe that she wrote out for me, whilst I was her and husband's chauffeur and have only now found out that she passed away in 2010. I was taking this beautiful lady to the dentist on that particular day and she scribbled out the crepe recipe for me on a scrap of paper! Bon voyage Gretta, much love to you and your family. Richard.

I met Gretta about 20 years ago at Telopea Christian Ministry Centre where we were doing a bible course called 'Crossways'. We found we had a lot in common and over the weeks we attended got to know each really well. So we started having coffee together. The problem was she lived in Wahroonga and I lived in Blacktown. So we drove to North Rocks which was half way for us. She would joke about 'Mrs North Shore' and 'Mrs Westie' having coffee together. But there were no barriers to our friendship as she was the humblest person and so full of grace. I loved her. Even though our friendship only lasted a couple of years as I moved on from that church I will never forget her. I was checking online her to see what she was up to when I found this tribute. It has left me quite sad that I never got in touch before she left us. But I know I will see her again as she is now with Jesus, where I will be one day soon. I just hope you all will be there too. God bless you all

My deepest codolences to David, Johnathon, Martin, Anna and family. I have just found out that our dear friend Gretta has passed away earlier this year. My name is Maria (Kokontis) Soursos, i worked with the family many, many years ago, in 1963 to 1965. My daughter decided to look up some of Gretta's recepies tonight, and came accross this sad news and memorial page. I am passing on my sincere condolences, sorry to hear about your loss. I remember Gretta as one of the most kindest, sweetest ladies that I have met. I was only 20 when I met Gretta and the family and they were kind enough to look after me as I was in Australia alone at the time. I will never forget her and the family. Over the years I have always mentioned to my children about the times I shared with the Teplitzky family. May she rest in peace.

In the early 90's I found myself in Sydney where my husband and I had moved with our baby daughter due to a work transfer. With no friends or networks, I turned to my next greatest love - cooking and my treasured Gretta Anna Cookbooks. I can still remember reading about a cooking class at Gretta Anna's home and I was so excited to book in to this and experience her brilliance in person. It was with sadness that I heard of her passing. She was a wonderful cook and a great inspirational to many people.

my mum-did you know she wanted to play the drums-yes its true-got to love her. i loved her for so many reasons-she was always so amazed when i told her she was the best cook ever-i mean you would think she would know this pretty much already but to be honest that was one of her most beautiful qualities-she really didn't know how clever she was. i remember not long before she died we were watching master chef together and kind of laughing at the complete sillyness of it all-mum would have never put herself out there like that-she was way too humble and understated-a real class act. as a mother she was so warm and loving-always up for a cuddle-and god she smelt so good-just like a mum should.yes she could drive me crazy-i would often say to her'now i will have this discussion with you but no god talk ok' yes of course she tried to convert the whole family to christianity but only because it made my mum so unbelieveably happy mum got pleasure from small things-like a kid really.i remember we were all on holidays in port douglas and she would not stop going on about these particular birds she had seen-i mean it was like she had just witnessed the second coming. real joy,real happyness-you don't often see that in people. i love you mumma xx

My deep codolences to Gretta's family. What a legacy this special lady leaves behind. Nothing but accolades. My introduction to Gretta was this. It was on the day of my birthday 17th May that I decided to look for a cake which would "stun" my husband on the occasion his birthday 3 weeks later. A friend at work had been given a copy of Gretta's first cookbook as a gift during her Kitchen Tea years ago. She had made this gorgeous cake for the staff morning tea this year (2010) and we LOVED it. I asked for the recipe on the 17th May- and made it for my husband several weeks later. It was the walnut and almond cake. Mmm Mmm!! I decided to do some research on Gretta tonight, only to find that sadly she had passed away on the very day I was introduced to her through her recipes! I hope more of us can aquire some of her culinary wisdom through the relaunching of her books as a tribute to such a gifted human being.

I was one of the group of about 24 lucky girls who took part in her very first cooking class in her newly decorated home unit in Rose Bay, I am pretty sure this was in 1956. I was working in a shipping company (Swire & Yuill) on the ground floor of 6 Bridge Street. Gretta was working on the top floor, as a secretary, for the trading branch of the same group(John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd. One day she came downstairs and with much excitement announced she was starting cooking classes in her own home. "And I'll cook enough for everyone so you can all taste it. It will be five shillings a lesson." Of course I signed up. Another candidate was Wendy Trudgeon, later Wendy Iliffe. I very well remember that first lesson. Gretta cooked beef with pineapple and mushrooms - it's a fair indication of the status of home cooking in Australia at that time that mushrooms, let alone pineapple - didn' t usally feature in casseroles so I was absolutely fascinated with this concept - and a pavlova. I had never tasted anything quite so yummy before. I went to many of Gretta's classes in her home after that and I still have almost all of her recipes. In those days she used to type them out and copy them on a Gestetner machine - there were no office photocopiers in those days. I couldn't bear to chuck them out. They are little slips of yellowing copy paper which are every bit as precious to me as her first book of recipes, which I also treasure (the paage with the carrot cake recipe is well worn). In fact they're even more precious than the book, because I was there when she cooked every one of them and I know they ALWAYS work thanks to on-the-spot testing all those years ago. I hope she will forgive me for re-telling her own story of a could-have-been disastrous night when her husband David invited a group of his Indian students home for dinner. The group turned out to be larger than expected and in despration Gretta raided her larder for everything she could find, including a box of 'choc-stick' biscuits. She was dismayed later to see some of the Indian students using the choc-sticks to scoop up curry and rice....they thought them delicious. Gretty must have shown considerable aplomb not to be embarrassed about this at the time I will always thank Gretta for the contribution she made to my life - and of course to my dinner guests thereafter. From her I learned not only to love cooking, but that offering food and sharing it with friends is the ultimate gesture of giving. I am so sad she's gone, but she left a wonderful legacy.

Gretta was one of my best and dearest friends. When I lived in Wahroonga I would see her often. She popped in one day and my daughter was making fish soup which tasted awful. Gretta informed us fish bones can only be cooked for 20 mins and then the soup goes bitter and with that proceded to doctor it with herbs and spices until it tasted delicious. Not only was she an amazing, wonderful cook but also a great orator, a truly charismatic speaker but the thing she excelled at was caring for people. She loved God with all her heart and prayed for many people with great results. We have laughed together and cried together and although I know she's laughing and dancing in heaven right now, we are left to cry here. She would tell you "crying's good" and put her arms around you. Thank you Gretta for all you've been to so many - all the ones that your life has touched go into thousands. Sometimes a cooking student would ask me what on earth I served Gretta to eat at my house and I smile now as my fondest memories are eating toast with her around my kitchen table. I have so many wonderful memories - Gretta serving pasta sauce crammed with large prawns, heads and strings attached, with such flair at a ladies luncheon -Gretta and Rol serving iced soup from large white tureens at a young friend's wedding - so elegant. All done with love for others - a great croquembouche she brought to a special function - so dramatic and just because she cared. Anything she had was yours for the asking. What Gretta has left behind is a legacy of love - for David, for her family and for all those who knew her. Not just mushy stuff but love in action because she loved her God. Gretta made a difference in so many lives and I am privileged to have known her. Brenda Bell