Col Sainty’s son Dan advised me today that Col had passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack on 19th Sept 2022. I haven’t seen any notices from yourself so I assume you are unaware of this and so many of the vets may also be unaware.
Col and his wife Julie had been living in Rutherglen for the last ten years. Following his passing Julie has moved into a nursing home in Nowra near Dan. They have another son Ben.
I lost contact with Col for a while but re-established contact about 5 years ago and visited him at Rutherglen. I understand Col was very active and respected within the Rutherglen community, involving himself in community events and fund raising.
In recent years Tweed vets Jeff Thwaites and Gary Samuels also visited Col and Julie in Rutherglen and both Col and Julie came up here to meet other Tweed vets who had worked with him.
To refresh the memory of the vets, Col started with OTC in SOR and moved to the BWY ISTC when the Hasler T202 telex exchange was commissioned and he was PTO of the BWY CNCC before he resigned.
Col was very popular and had many friends in OTC who I am sure have countless fond memories of him.
I have attached a photo of Col celebrating his 70th birthday at his favourite watering hole, the Star Rutherglen Hotel, where they have a memorial plaque mounted in his honour.
May he rest in peace.
Bob Collins
5 Comments
That is terrible news.
I had looked forward to having a chat soon but now he has gone.
I was pleased though that you gave him a call back three years ago and he had hoped then to join the OTVA.
He had the Seniority of like years to Battaglene, Goold, Brand, McMahon, Viglianti with myself and Sharpe and Gary Tulk (and Waller) following 3 months later.
He was in the same intake at DCA(OTC) traineeship at Waverton as most of those mentioned above and we teamed along with myself pausing at end of yr 3.
Very sad to hear of his death.
Bill Breeze
I am sad to hear about Col
Terrible we can slip off the hook and no one gets to hear about it for six months.
May he Rest In Peace
Bob Murray
So sad to hear – my condolences to Julie and the family
So many fond memories of our times at BWY ISTC (Hasler T202) and ambitious worker bees at Col’s place at Thornleigh
Jim Starr
I was in the same years as Col in DCA and we were good friends and even lived within a km of each other during the 1990’s.
May He Rest In Peace
Regards
Chris McMahon
Thanks for the notice. I remember Col and have fond memories of him from my time at Broadway exchange.
Regards Gerry Serrao