Davo Neyle has relayed the sad news of the passing of Darrell.
A very belated notification of the passing of Darrell Hegarty, ex OTC Training Officer, from the 70s and 80s.
By coincidence, a distant in-law relative of Darrell’s has started working for me recently at the Bega Repair Café. Yesterday he started talking about this relative that died last year and his involvement in the navy. The story sounded very familiar, and he confirmed it was in fact Darrell he was talking about, and Darrel had died in early 2025. This chap’s wife is the executor of Darrell’s estate. Darrell was a single man, and largely kept to himself in his later years, other than maintaining an alumni group for HMAS Perth, his ship when in the navy. When Darrell died, they couldn’t access any of his computer files or his phone, so as a result, did not know who to contact to advise of Darrell’s passing. I knew Darrell had moved into Bega but he hadn’t told me where too. He wasn’t responding to my email or text messages, and his regular Christmas message failed to arrive, so I admit, I feared the worst.
Darrell had relocated and retired to Merimbula NSW in the 1990s, after discovering a cousin, that he’d never really had any dealings with in his life, lived there. This woman became his only living relative. Darrell had been managing a serious heart condition and diabetes since he was in his 60s, and eventually it caught up with him, and he moved into a retirement hospital in Bega. Unfortunately, just three weeks later he fell and hit his head. I gather it was downhill from there. Darrell was 83 when he died.
Darrell had requested that his ashes be scattered at sea from a naval boat. Because of his OAM, and service to HMAS Perth, it was decided to take that one step further. His ashes were interred in a teak box, which in turn was placed in the bunk space that Darrell had used when serving on the HMAS Perth. The ship has since been towed out to sea and scuttled, and now serves as a dive wreck.
Many of us who were trainees under Darrell’s watch remember him very fondly. We even had a touch football team at North Sydney Tech College called “Darrell’s Demons”. I can recall many a Friday night, having a session at the Bomb Shelter, then escorting Darrell home on the train to ensure he woke up to get off at Toongabbie Station. Darrell told us there were quite a few times he found himself at the marshalling yards in Penrith after a big night out!
Below is a ‘selfie’ Davo took of Darrell and myself in November 2016.
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Extract from Darrell’s funeral announcement
CPOEWR Darrell Hegarty OAM RAN Rtd.
of The Glen, Bega and formerly Merimbula
07.05.1939 – 01.02.2025
Beloved elder of the Hegarty line, Darrell passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side.
Darrell was a highly respected and long serving member of the HMAS Perth National Association and devoted to the Naval Electrical Branch.
Darrell will be sadly missed by his loving family, and the many dear friends and colleagues who knew him. We warmly invite family and friends to …… farewell Darrell and to wish him fair winds and following seas as he takes his final voyage in life.
From Bill Breeze:
“Vietnam veteran Darrell Hegarty received an OAM in the General Division for his service to veterans.
The Merimbula resident is a former president and secretary of the HMAS Perth National Association and is the organisation’s webmaster.
He has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Australian Active Service Medal, with clasps for service in Malaysia, Vietnam and the Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR).”
Ref:-https://aboutregional.com.au/a-swag-of-australia-day-honours-for-eurobodalla-and-bega-valley-citizens/443089/
Even a breeze of wind against his back reminds him of an explosion upon HMAS Perth II, but Royal Australian Navy veteran Darrell Raymond Hegarty still dedicates his life to honouring the ship he served on and the comrades that he served alongside.
Darrell was my training officer and I very much respected him and am saddened by his passing.
Regards Gerard Pearson
RIP Darell.
I remember him and heard many a story of the Bomb Shelter etc from some of the others when I joined OTC as a trainee in 1981.
Cheers Gerry Serrao
I am sad to hear of Darrell’s passing.
He was a lovely man and so good with the trainees.
A very belated news. He was a single man. A great guy and very capable
RIP Chief
Regards
Bob Murray
Sad news indeed.
I remember Darrell as well as Joe Collister very well as our guardians as trainees. What a great job they did!
A funny memory I have of Darrell from some time ’73 to ’76, was seeing Darrell under the influence of alcohol and hanging onto a power pole on the footpath of the Pacific Highway outside North Shore Hospital.
I was driving with a house mate and OTC trainee colleague (I think it was Tony Styan) when we spotted Darrell.
There was only one thing for it, turn around and go back.
We bundled him into the car and drove him home. I think it was somewhere local. Safe and sound, we left him to sleep it off.
The story stayed with us…
RIP Darrell.
Peter Tuckwell