Denis Chambers has advised that John Norris passed away a couple of months ago.

John was a Melbourne man who will be well remembered by all those who went to Wagga on the Australia Day Weekend for all those years to play cricket.  He was a very good cricketer with both bat and ball and a real gentleman on the field.

John retired on Tuesday 20 March 1984 to the Gold Coast with his wife Mildred after 38 years with OTC. John did not keep in touch with the vets or many of the ex OTC people.

The sad news was passed on by Keith McCredden

The below photo is from Transit after a Caboolture Day in 1986.

Click to access VETS_minutes_150612_AGM.pdf

From Derek Walker:

I was very saddened to get the news from a friend that Ray Johnson had died on 4^th June from the cancer that he’d been diagnosed with only a few short months ago . Ray’s wife Pat died about five years ago. He is survived by his daughter Michelle

I first met Ray when my family and I were transferred from Perth to Port Moresby in 1964. Ray and his family had been transferred from La Perouse some time previously and even then he made no secret of his ambition to eventually become Manager La Perouse He had what was taken by some to be an offhand manner, but once you got to know him and especially if you were interested in cricket and classical music, (which I was) his manner thawed and we becamegood friends. This was helped by th fact that the Johnsons’ house was up a flight of stone steps on the side of our house and each Sunday evening we would walk up those steps (taking care not todisturb the small snakes that were usually sunning themjselves on them) for a barbecue with the Johnsons. When the cricket season started Ray and I managed to persuade the Konedobu cricket club that we were practicallyTest material The side always seemed to be chronically short of players and Ray and I went through the season alternately playing in the number10 and number 11spots.

Transferring from Moresby to Lae in 1965 I lost touch with Ray until out of the blue he arrived in Lae as manager and we picked up the friendship again. After two years he went back down south and took on the job of Asst Manager La Perouse, bu had to wait 12 years before Ken Stone eventually retired and Ray achieved his ambition.Unfortunately for Ray the powers that be decided they needed him in Maritime head office and he became Manager Operational Procedures (MOPS), cutting short his stint as Manager La Perouse.

When I retired as Manager Perth Maritime in 1990 Ray somehow wangled a trip over to the West for my farewell do at Gnangara, which I thought wa extremely kind of him

One thing that I always thought rather eccentric in a man who spent his working life in telecommunications was that Ray flatly refused to have a computer in the house after he retired, so any communication one had with him had to be by snail mail or telephone.

So long Ray, it was good to know you

I am writing to inform you of the death of Phil Harris (Rockbank, Fiskville, Moree, Ceduna, Guam, Cairns, Bringelly).

Dad had been in declining health for the last year – since the death of my mother Thelma – and had been in residential care in Castlemaine for the last two months.

As per the notice in The Age today, he died on Wednesday 13/5. There will be no funeral or memorial services in accordance with his wishes.

I can be contacted at timharris05@optusnet.com.au.

Regards

Tim Harris (son)

I wish to inform the members that Peter Whisson of Berkeley Vale Formerly of Cable & Wireless and OTC has passed on last night 17/05/2015. He is survived by his wife Elva, his 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 1 great grand child and his dog, Toby.

Peter spoke to me fondly of his time with C&W/OTC island hopping in the Pacific in places like Guam, Fiji, Papua New Guinea. Ultimately settling into a management position in the head office in Sydney.

His subsequent retirement led him to the peace and quiet of the Central Coast.

Peter was cremated on Wednesday 20th May 2015. A Memorial Service for Peter was held at 11:30am on Friday 22 May 2015 at Palmdale Crematorium (Ourimbah).

I’m his eldest daughter Julie’s other half. Peter and I shared that “Technician” connection, I’m an electronics technian/designer. I’m not directly involved with the arrangements, however I was concerned that his passing may be missed by people whom may want to pay their respects.

I appreciate that many of his contemporaries have already gone, Pete told me so a little while ago. Pete was a thorough gentleman and I certainly enjoyed his company. He will be sorely missed by one and all.

The photos are of Peter with his great grand daughter Aurora at his last birthday in March, One of Pete’s mugshots, and one with some of his grandchildren.

Perry Larsson

It is sad to report that Bruce Collett passed away at 7am this morning after being in poor health for some time. His failing health caused him to move from his unit to a retirement home to be close to his daughter a couple of years ago.

Bruce was born on 24 February 1926.

He joined AWA MOR in April 1942. He graduated as a telegraphist in May 1943. In 1954 he joined the Sydney Cable School before transferring to Cottesloe Cable Station in 1955 for 2 years as a Cable Officer. In 1957 he was back at the Sydney Cable School until he transferred to Suva in 1958 as a Cable Officer. In 1959 he transferred to Fanning Island as a Cable Officer until 1961. In 1962 he went to Norfolk Island as a Cable Officer until his return to Paddington to work in the ISTC later that year. Bruce remained in Paddington ISTC until 1971 when he transferred to the Telegraph & Data Section in Head Office where he remained until he retired in 1986.

Keith McCredden received a phone call from his daughter, Judith Dixon, to let him know of Bruce’s passing and request that his friends and acquaintenances in the Vets be advised.

Funeral Service

Northern Suburbs Crematorium

Wednesday 8th April at 3.30pm.

The below photo of Bruce & Ena Collett was taken at Moree SES in March 1985: